Patna: Black fungus patient tests positive for Covid

PATNA: In a bizarre case, a 43-year-old man from Vaishali tested positive for Covid-19 for the second time within two months of recovery from the first infection.
The patient was undergoing treatment at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) for post-Covid complication as he was diagnosed with mucormycosis or black fungus in May-end.
According to doctors at PMCH, the patient from Vaishali was admitted to the hospital on May 29 after he developed symptoms of mucormycosis in his nasal area. “He underwent minor debridement (surgery to remove dead cells) on June 4 and prior to that his rapid antigen and RT-PCR test reports had come negative. For the second-round debridement, his swab sample was collected and the result came positive on July 5,” he said.
The hospital administration shifted the patient from mucormycosis to Covid-19 ward and swab samples of all eight patients admitted in the ward were sent for test. According to hospital administration, the patient left against medical advice on July 5.
Nodal officer for Covid-19 at PMCH Dr Ajay Arun said the patient’s rapid antigen test result had come positive. “His RT-PCR test report is still awaited,” he added.
Dr Shaheen Zafar, nodal officer for mucormycosis at PMCH, said swab samples of three patients, including the Vaishali man, were sent for test on July 5. “The rapid antigen test report of the Vaishali man had come positive while the other two patients had tested negative. The Vaishali man was shifted to the Covid ward on the same day from where he left,” he said.
The swab samples of around 35 health workers of the hospital, who came in contact with the Vaishali man, have also been sent for test.
The patient, a contractual teacher, had first tested Covid positive on April 29 and was home quarantined. At home, he took excess steroids. As a result, the man contracted rare fungal infection, doctors said.
Dr Sanjeev Kumar, nodal officer for Covid-19 at AIIMS-Patna, said it was a rare case as there was less than 10% chance of getting reinfection. “There is a possibility that antibody had not been produced in the patient due to mild symptoms from the first infection,” he said.