Written by: Sarjan Waiba Tamang - 24009, Grade X
Posted on: 02 June, 2021
Do you know what black fungus is? Do you know what exactly is mucormycosis? Mucormycosis (Black Fungus) is spreading all over the world. If you get infected, there is only a 50% chance of survival. The formal name of Black Fungus is Mucormycosis. The fungus infection happened before as well and it is happening now as well. It belongs to the Mucorales family. This type of fungus can be found everywhere. In soil, decaying fruit, vegetables, non decaying vegetables, fruits and in the environment. This infection does not cause trouble to the normal conditions and healthy people. But whenever it gets an opportunity it attacks and infects people.
They get the opportunity when the people's immune system is weak. Mucorales fungus is found everywhere in the environment. If it gets inside your body and you are a healthy person it doesn't infect you. There will be no problem. In fact you wouldn't know that fungus is in your body. But your immune system is weak and it may infect you. There are many ways that fungus can enter your body. First is air, when you breathe there may be many spores of fungus in air which may infect your lungs. The second way is food. If the food is decaying there will be a fungus in it, when you eat that food it may reach your stomach and cause infection. There are many ways to enter fungus in your body. But the common way is air.
The main and first body part which is infected by mucormycosis is the nose and sinus. When the blood flow is restricted on that part the skin color often changes into black color and so, from here the name Black Fungus originates. The symptoms of black fungus depend on where the fungus is growing on your body part. For example: if the infection starts from lungs: you may get chest pain, fever, cough or bloody vomit. The symptoms are blurred vision, you may see blackish color, problems in respiration. But the good thing is that it is a rare disease. Even those who have weak immune systems this disease may happen rarely. Now talking about treatment anti fungal medicine is given to the patient. And doctors or surgeons will remove your infected cells from your body. For this it may take more than 4 to 6 weeks. You need to take the doctor's prescriptions for medicine. This disease has already been reported in Nepal.
Mucormycosis (Black Fungus) is related to coronavirus. Mostly this disease is reported on those people who have done the treatment of coronavirus. People after the treatment of coronavirus their immune system is weak and in different states. At this state it attacks the people. But it doesn't mean that all recovered patients of covid can have this disease. It can easily and more quickly attack your body when you have pre pre-existing disease on your body like cancer, HIV e.t.c. and when your immune system is weak.
