In India, an outbreak of “black fungus” was recorded in patients with COVID

Indian doctors are reporting an increase in cases of a rare infection called mucormycosis, also called the "black fungus", reports the BBC. The disease affects patients recovering from covid-19 or those who have already been ill. Patients with diabetes who contracted the coronavirus were at the greatest risk.

Mucormycosis is a rare infection. it is caused by fungi of the Mucorales family, which are commonly found in soil, plants, manure, and rotting fruits and vegetables. The fungus infects the sinuses, brain, and lungs and can be life threatening in diabetic or immunocompromised people such as cancer patients or people with HIV.

Doctors believe that mucormycosis, which has a 50% mortality rate, may be caused by therapies used to treat COVID-19.

Drugs suppress the immune system to avoid a cytokine storm when the immune system begins to kill its own cells. It is believed that deliberate suppression of the immune system can provoke cases of mucormycosis.