The ENT Department of Sri Venkateswara Ramnarain Ruia Government General Hospital (SVRRGGH) has handled a large number of black fungus cases that saw light in the recent months when COVID-19 was at its peak.
Black fungus became an acute health hazard across the country and was widely reported in Andhra Pradesh too. As the main referral hospital in Tirupati, Ruia managed what is believed to be “a dangerous complication” by swiftly handling the cases.
Prior to COVID, the fungus was prevalent more in patients with uncontrolled diabetes and those with low immunity. However, it was widely observed during the pandemic in cases administered with steroids and those with suppressed immunity associated with high sugar levels in blood.
Led by V. Chandrasekhar, professor and head of ENT, the team comprising G. Srinivas (ENT), Sandhya (ophthalmology), Bhaskar (neurosurgery) and members from anaesthesia and medicine departments handled about 300 cases during the pandemic. “We performed around 175 surgeries and most of the patients got discharged after successful treatment”, said Dr. Chandrasekhar.
When steroids and diabetes go together, it is a favourable condition for the growth of fungus mainly Rhizopus Mucor Aspergillus and Candida, he added.
“The government is making all efforts to supply the required medicines including injection Amphotericin, which is very essential in this case,” said Ruia Superintendent K. Bharathi, who has been coordinating with the District Collector and Joint Collector to get all the equipment and drugs to tame the fungus.
The team appealed to the people with COVID-19 to look for symptoms like facial pain, numbness of face, headache, change in vision, excessive crusting and discharge from the nose, as early diagnosis and treatment hold the key.