After Surviving Covid-19, A Karnataka Doctor Was Diagnosed With Black And Green Fungus

A paediatric physiotherapist from Bengaluru who contracted Covid-19 in April may be the first person in India to be infected with both the black and green fungus.

While at a Mysuru hospital, the patient, Dr Karthikeyan R, had numbness and heaviness on his face, discomfort in the right side of his face, an unbearable headache, and nasal discharge.

Dr Prashanth R Reddy, Chief Consultant, ENT and Endoscopic Skull Base Surgeon, BGS Gleneagles Global Hospital said that he had greenish-brown salt deposits (crystals) in his nose, which did not appear to be a typical black fungus case. The green fungus was discovered in the fungal culture. Nasal endoscopy revealed pus, and a CT and MRI scan revealed a fungal infection. They drilled the bone and removed the dead tissue with an endoscopic procedure through his nose. Since black fungus damages the blood flow to the tissue and develops on dead tissue, antifungal medicine alone would not have resulted in a cure. He was given anti-fungal medicine after surgery.

The patient had never been diagnosed with diabetes before Covid but was afterwards diagnosed with it. He was on steroids during his coronavirus treatment in Mysuru. The condition may have become lethal if not treated in a timely manner, as it can infect the eyes and brain.

According to Dr Reddy, a Covid variation causes necrotising sinusitis, which is the root cause of fungal infection. Fungal infections spread quickly and can arise at any moment after Covid.

Dr Karthikeyan said he was first brought to a local hospital in Bengaluru, where his oxygen levels dropped to 75-80%. He was transferred to Mysuru, where he was placed in an ICU for 12 days, during which time his vital signs deteriorated.

He explained that he improved after 4-5 days and was weaned off the ventilator and put on oxygen assistance. This is when I started experiencing discomfort on the right side of my face, as well as an unbearable headache. The MRI did not indicate a fungal infection, thus it was initially diagnosed as sinusitis. The symptoms, however, remained. He made the decision to see a doctor in Bengaluru. His pain has subsided since the procedure, but numbness remains.

Meanwhile, the varying colours of fungal infection are attributable to the multiple species of the fungus, as per Dr Prashanth R Reddy, Chief Consultant, ENT and Endoscopic Skull Base Surgeon, BGS Gleneagles Global Hospital.