[Asia Economy Reporter Seoyoung Kwon] The number of deaths caused by the so-called "black fungus" (officially known as mucormycosis), which rapidly spread among COVID-19 patients in India, has reportedly exceeded 4,000.
On the 22nd, local Indian media such as NDTV reported that Bharati Pravin Pawar, the Minister of State for Health, revealed this fact during a parliamentary report on the 20th. According to the report, over the past two months, more than 45,000 cases of black fungus infection have been reported in India, with approximately 4,200 deaths recorded.
The most representative symptoms of black fungus include nosebleeds, swelling around the eyes, and skin turning black. This disease can spread beyond the eyes and nose to the lungs, brain, and other areas, and in some cases, removal of the eyeball or nose is necessary to prevent further spread. Because of this, black fungus is considered a dangerous disease with a fatality rate of up to 50% if not treated promptly and properly.
Black fungus was originally classified as a rare disease found in diabetic patients with weakened immune systems. However, starting in April, as COVID-19 cases surged in India, infections of black fungus also increased naturally. This phenomenon occurred as some COVID-19 patients, whose immune systems were weakened due to excessive use of steroids and other treatments, were exposed to the fungal spores. Since then, as the spread of COVID-19 has somewhat eased, the increase in black fungus infections has also shown signs of slowing down.
Meanwhile, the number of new COVID-19 cases in India has steadily decreased from 410,000 in early May to around 40,000 recently. The cumulative death toll is reported to be approximately 420,000.
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