Amritsar, May 20

As many as 17 cases of black fungus were reported from the district on Thursday. Civil Surgeon Dr Charanjit Singh said all patients infected with black fungus had been reported from private hospitals. “None of the government hospitals have reported any such case,” he said.

The health official when asked about the severity of the cases said the department was still collecting data about such patients. “The first case of black fungus was reported two days ago. We are still verifying the facts and collecting data,” he said. Dr Singh said all patients were under treatment and the department was in regular touch with the hospitals from where these cases had been reported. “This disease existed prior to Covid pandemic but the chances of positive patients catching it due to weak immunity are high,” he said, adding that the health department had been informed about the development and they were constantly monitoring the situation. — TNS