By PTI
GUWAHATI: A COVID-19 recovered patient died of black fungus infection, the first such case reported in Assam, at a private hospital in Guwahati on Wednesday, officials said.
The 27-year-old male patient was admitted to the hospital on May 16 in a critical condition and he had all the symptoms of black fungus infection, the hospital said in a statement.
It said that the person hailing from Nagaon district had diabetes and tested positive for COVID-19 on May 6, following which he was admitted to a Covid care centre in the district.
“Subsequently, he tested Rapid Antigen Test negative on 12th May 2021 and was discharged from the centre. From 15th May 2021, he developed decreased vision in both eyes and other post-Covid complications at his home,” the statement said.
The patient was brought to the emergency of the hospitals on May 16 “in a very critical state” and was admitted in the ICU.
“In spite of the best efforts by the clinical team, the patient expired at 6 am,” the statement added.
When contacted, a senior official of the hospital told PTI that enough symptoms of black fungus infection like black patches on the face and loss of vision were there with the patient when he arrived.
“Clinically speaking, we can say that the patient had black fungus. But we can say it definitely only after studying the fungal culture. His samples have been sent for testing and it will take around four days for the report to come,” he added.
A senior official of the Directorate of Health Services said that the government does not have any data as of now on black fungus infection as it has not been made a “notified disease” in the state.
“We are working on this and there is no need to panic. We have enough stock of medicines in the state to treat the infection,” the official told PTI.
Mucormycosis or black fungus is a complication caused by a fungal infection.
People catch the infection by coming in contact with fungal spores in the environment.
It can also develop after the fungus enters the skin through a cut, burn or other types of skin trauma.
It can affect areas from where it can be inhaled — through the nose, sinus, or lungs.
If it enters from a wound or skin, it can cause local infection, but if it enters from the sinus, it can affect the eyes and brain.
Meanwhile, a government release said the Health Department has instructed a team of medical experts to study the development related to black fungus in the state and submit a report by Wednesday night.
“We will issue necessary directives after receiving the report. We are very serious about infection by black fungus and keeping a close watch. I request the public not to panic as black fungus is not a communicable disease,” Health Minister Keshab Mahanta said.
The state reported 89 deaths due to COVID-19 on Wednesday, while the number of coronavirus cases rose sharply with 6,143 persons testing positive, pushing the total number of infections to 3,47,001, the National Health Mission (NHM) said.
With 26 persons in Kamrup Metropolitan, eight each in Dibrugarh and Kamrup, Karbi Anglong (6),Cachar (5), three each in Jorhat, Morigaon, Sonitpur and Tinsukia, two each in Barpeta, Charaideo, Goalpara, Hojai, Kokrajhar, Nagaon, Sivasagar and Udalguri, and one each in Biswanath, Bongaigaon, Darrang, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Hailakandi, Nalbari and South Salmara, the total number of deaths rose to 2,433 persons.
NHM said 1,347 more COVID-19 patients have died till now, but the government’s Death Audit Board has not included them in the tally of deaths caused by the COVID-19 virus as they had other ailments too.
With detection of 6,143 patients against testing of 1,02,040 samples on Wednesday, Assam has reported a positivity rate of 6.02 per cent for the day, the NHM daily bulletin said The state had reported 5,835 coronavirus positive cases on Tuesday against testing of 90,251 samples.
Currently, the state has a total of 48,390 active cases and they are being treated at different hospitals and Covid Care Centres (CCCs) across the state along with some being at home isolation.
Out of the new cases, the highest 913 patients were detected from the state capital, followed by 448 in Nagaon, 438 in Cachar and 397 in Dibrugarh.
With 3,47,001 total COVID-19 positive cases in Assam, the overall positivity rate stands at 3.55 per cent against total testing of 97,76,474 samples so far.
The Kamrup Metropolitan district, which primarily comprises the Guwahati city, has so far reported a total of 93,144 cases of COVID-19.
During the day, the state reported fewer recoveries than the number of new infections at 4,057 discharges, NHM said in its daily bulletin.
In Assam, 2,94,831 COVID-19 patients have so far recovered and were discharged from different hospitals and CCCs.
The NHM further said a total of 35,68,912 doses of vaccines have been administered.
This includes 28,15,146 first doses and 7,53,766 second doses.
It said that a total of 38,235 persons were vaccinated on Wednesday, down from 60,772 shots on Tuesday.
