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BIG STORY MAY 21, 2021 | The Indian Eye 6

AIIMS Delhi Director Dr tailed review of rising number
Randeep Guleria also pointed of cases of Mucormycosis in
out that there has been an in- various states, a total of 23680
creasing trend of rise in fungal additional vials of Amphoter-
infection in the last few weeks icin- B have been allocated to
being seen among those recov- all States/UTs today. The Al-
ering from COVID-19 with location has been made based
several states reporting an in- on the total number of patients
crease in the cases of black fun- which is approximately 8848
gus. “The Covid-19-linked in- across the country,” the Union
fection has claimed more than Minister tweeted.
7,000 lives in the country,” said According to a list of Mucor-
Dr Guleria. mycosis cases reported across
Patients within six weeks of the country cited by the Min-
COVID treatment are at the ister, Gujarat has a maximum
highest risk of black fungus, said number of cases (2281), fol-
senior neurosurgeon at AIIMS. lowed by Maharashtra (2000)
Professor of Neurosurgery at and Andhra Pradesh (910). As
AIIMS, Dr P Sarat Chandra per the Union Health Minis-
said, “One of the most import- A health worker gives a dose of COVID-19 vaccine try, Mucormycosis is being de-
ant reasons is uncontrolled di- to a beneficiary, during drive-In vaccination at Ambience Mall, tected among patients who are
abetes, systemic use of steroids in Gurugram on Sunday. (ANI Photo) recovering or have recovered
along with tocilizumab, pa- from COVID-19.
tients on ventilation and taking port every Mucormycosis case Union Minister for Chemicals “Moreover, anyone who is
supplemental oxygen. Within to the state government. and Fertilizers DV Sadanan- diabetic and whose immune
six weeks of COVID treatment Amid the rising concern of da Gowda announced that the system is not functioning well
if people have any of these fac- black fungus cases in addition Centre has allocated a total of needs to be on the guard against
tors they are at the highest risk to the COVID pandemic, the 23680 additional vials of Am- this. The disease is caused by a
of black fungus.” He cautioned rare cases of Mucormycosis of photericin- B to all states and set of micro-organisms known
that giving cold oxygen direct- the small intestine have been Union Territories on Saturday. as mucormycetes, which are
ly from cylinders could be very reported in Delhi’s Sir Ganga Taking to Twitter, Gow- present naturally in the envi-
dangerous for patients. Ram Hospital. da informed that the alloca- ronment, seen mostly in soil
“Giving cold oxygen di- Meanwhile, after review- tion has been made based on and in decaying organic matter
rectly from the cylinder is very ing the rising number of cases the total number of patients, like leaves, compost and piles,”
dangerous. Anti-fungal drug of Mucormycosis or black fun- which is approximately 8848 the Ministry had earlier said.
Posaconazole can be given to gus infections in various states, across the country. “After a de- It stated that the treatment
high-risk individuals to reduce of COVID-19 patients in-
incidents of black fungus,” add- volves the intake of drugs like
ed Dr Chandra. sii on the defensive dexamethasone, which sup-
On the issue of masks, Dr presses our immune system
Chandra said, “Prolonged use after executive slams center response. Due to these factors,
of masks to be discouraged as wo days after Serum Institute of India (SII) executive di- COVID-19 patients face a re-
any cloth mask kept in a damp rector Suresh Jadhav’s controversial remarks on India’s newed risk of failing the battle
place with prolonged use may Tvaccination drive against COVID-19, the world’s largest against attacks mounted by or-
catch fungus. Cloth masks ganisms such as mucormycetes.
should be washed every day vaccine maker completely dissociated itself from the statement The Union Health Minis-
and N95 masks preferably dis- and clarified that CEO Adar Poonawalla is the only official try on Friday wrote to the all
spokesperson of the company. “He isn’t authorised to speak on
carded after five uses. Rotatory these issues only the official spokesperson of the company is al- the states and union territories
use of masks preferred that is, lowed to speak,” SII CEO Adar Poonawalla told ANI. (UTs) advising them to review
keep one mask for every day Speaking at an online health summit, Jadhav had on Friday their preparedness for infec-
of the week and rotate them tion prevention and control, as
again. said that the government did not take into account the avail- well as hygiene and sanitation
Cases of ‘black fungus’ in- able stock of vaccines and ignored World Health Organisation’s in hospitals.
fection are being reported in guidelines while rolling out inoculation phases. The states and UTs have
With regard to the statement, SII has made its stand clear that
several parts of the country. this is not the view of the company. According to the sources, been asked to improve the en-
States like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Prakash Kumar Singh, Director of Government and Regulatory vironment and facilitate ventila-
Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka, Affairs at SII has written a letter to the Union Health Ministry tion with focus on fresh air and
Odisha, Telangana and Tamil natural ventilation wherever
Nadu have already declared it on behalf of Poonawala, clarifying that that Jadhav’s statement control systems with requisite
a ‘notifiable’ disease under the is not issued on behalf of Serum Institute of India Private Limit- air changes are not available,
Epidemic Diseases Act, there- ed, further stating that the company completely dissociates itself cleaning, disinfection and san-
from the statement.
by making it mandatory to re- Continued on next page... >>

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