Panaji: Two more COVID-19 patients diagnosed with mucormycosis (black fungus) infection have died while undergoing treatment at the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim. It is pertinent to note that two such patients had died earlier at the GMC.

Currently, there are eight active cases of the deadly infection in the hospital. These patients are being treated in GMC’s ward 102, which has been designated for patients of black fungus.

GMC dean Dr S M Bandekar told ‘The Navhind Times’ that the death of the four patients, including the two new deaths, can’t be directly linked to black fungus.

“We cannot say that they have died due to black fungus. The four patients who died had developed severe COVID-19 pneumonia and their CT severity score was on a higher side. So we are not attributing their deaths directly to black fungus,” Dr Bandekar maintained.

He said the eight patients undergoing treatment at the GMC are doing well, adding that no new cases of mucormycosis have been detected at the GMC in the last two days.

Dr Bandekar has constituted a taskforce to deal with mucormycosis cases.

The department of ENT of the GMC in association with other specialists and super specialists of the premier hospital of the state has prepared a protocol for the management of mucormycosis, which is based on guidelines published by the Indian Academy of Otorhinolaryngology.