While Covid-19 cases and deaths continue to plague the battered health infrastructure of the country, the new fear of mucormycosis or black fungus is causing more worries. Maharashtra has reported more deaths caused by the black fungus while the government has said there may be 2,000 cases of mucormycosis in the state.

On Monday, Odisha also reported its first case of mucormycosis while Delhi, Gujarat and a few other states have already detected cases of the feared black fungus.

Top developments on black fungus cases:

1. On Wednesday, Thane district in Maharashtra reported 2 more deaths caused by the black fungus. Moreover, six other patients in Thane are undergoing treatment for the black fungus infection.

2. Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope has said the state could have as many as 2,000 cases of mucormycosis or black fungus. The state government has decided to use hospitals attached to medical colleges as treatment centres for mucormycosis.

3. Over the past 12 hours, Jaipur has seen 14 patients with black fungus infection. Two from Ranchi, four from Rajasthan, five from Uttar Pradesh and the rest from Delhi-NCR have reached Jaipur with complaints of black fungal infection. Many of them have lost their sight.

4. On Monday, Odisha reported its first case of mucormycosis in a 71-year-old Covid patient who also has uncontrolled diabetes. The patient, a resident of the Jajpur district, is now undergoing treatment in Odisha.

5. Reports have said Madhya Pradesh has detected cases of black fungus and two people have already died in the state. The state has reportedly seen 13 cases of the black fungus. MP government doctors will be holding consultations with doctors in the US on how to deal with cases of mucormycosis.

6. Gujarat has meanwhile reported the highest number of black fungus cases. Gujarat government has started setting up separate wards in hospitals for such patients and has procured 5,000 vials of a medicine used in its treatment. Gujarat has so far reported over 100 cases of mucormycosis, which has left many patients blind.

7. The Centre has decided to ramp up production of Amphotericin B, which is being used on patients suffering from mucormycosis. Supply of the medicine is expected to improve with extra imports and increase in domestic production, said the Centre.

8. Symptoms of mucormycosis include headache, fever, pain under the eyes, nasal or sinus congestion and partial loss of vision. Some may even experience warning signs of coughing, shortness of breath, bloody vomits and altered mental status.

9. In an advisory, the Centre has said mucormycosis is being found in Covid-19 patients with uncontrolled diabetes and prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stay and added that the fungal infection may turn fatal if remain unattended.

10. Experts have said the black fungus infection is not new but is on the rise among Covid-19 patients because the use of steroids elevates sugar level and some medicines suppress the patients' immunity.