Coronavirus LIVE Updates: 2,30,168 people have died due to coronavirus in India so far. (File)
Doctors at a leading private facility here are seeing a rise in the number of COVID-triggered mucormycisis cases, according to a statement from the hospital.
Mucormycisis is a fungal infection triggered by COVID-19. Black fungus or mucormycosis has been a cause of disease and death of patients in transplants, ICUs and immunodeficient patients since long.
According to Dr Manish Munjal, senior ENT surgeon at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, "We are seeing a rise again in this dangerous fungal infection triggered by COVID-19. In the last two days, we have admitted six cases of mucormycisis. Last year, this deadly infection caused a high mortality with many patients suffering from the loss of eyesight and the removal of the nose and the jaw bone."
Dr Ajay Swaroop, the chairman of the ENT department at the hospital, said the use of steroids in the treatment of COVID-19 coupled with the fact that many coronavirus patients have diabetes could be one of the reasons for this rise in the number of black fungus cases again.
Meanwhile, up to 3,980 people died of Covid in India the past 24 hours, the highest in a day so far, pushing total fatalities to 2,30,168. The country also set a new grim record in its daily Covid numbers with 4.12 lakh infections.
Assam, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand have seen a rise in both the number of daily cases and mortality, indicating the "pandemic is moving eastwards", the Union Health Ministry said after a review meeting on Wednesday.
Here are the Live updates on coronavirus (COVID-19) cases:
Covid-Induced "Black Fungus" Cases Reported In Delhi Hospital
Doctors at a leading private facility in Delhi are witnessing a rise in the number of Covid-triggered mucormycisis cases, according to a statement from the hospital. Mucormycisis is a fungal infection triggered by COVID-19. Black fungus or mucormycosis has been a cause of disease and death of patients in transplants, ICUs and immunodeficient patients since long.
Coronavirus Updates: Karnataka Hospital Asks 24 Covid Patients To Shift Due To Oxygen Shortage
As India's health infrastructure crumbles amid the massive spike of coronavirus cases, 24 COVID-19 patients at a hospital in Karnataka's Chickmagalur were asked to be ready to shift due to an oxygen shortage on Thursday. According to Vijay Kumar, MD of Ashraya hospital, two patients have already shifted to another hospital.
Coronavirus: 14-Day Institutional Quarantine Must For Those Arriving In Delhi From Andhra, Telangana
People arriving in the national capital from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana through any mode of transport will have to undergo 14 days of mandatory institutional quarantine, said an order issued by the Delhi government on Thursday. However, those who have been administered both doses of any COVID vaccine or carry a negative RT-PCR test report not older than 72 hours prior to undertaking the journey, will be required to be home quarantined for seven days, it said.
Covid Second Wave In India A Tragedy, Says Indian-American Surgeon
The second wave of COVID-19 in India is a tragedy, US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy has said, underlining the need for countries to help each other during the crisis. "If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it's that we need each other to get through this pandemic. As a world, we need each other in terms of countries to step up to help make sure that the world has an adequate supply of vaccine, to ensure people have treatments available, supply of PPE because the threat of COVID in any part of the world is ultimately a threat to every country," Indian-American Murthy told a news channel in an interview.
Andhra Pradesh Sends Oxygen SOS To Centre
The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday sent an SOS to the Centre seeking enhanced supply of medical oxygen as the demand is expected to touch 1,000 tonnes by May 15, officials said.
While the central government has now allotted 480 tonnes of medical oxygen to the state from various sources, the maximum consumption per day touched 550 tonnes (including government and private hospitals).
The state currently has a storage capacity of 515 tonnes.
There are about 25,000 Covid-19 patients on oxygen and ventilator support in hospitals across the state now.
