Black fungus: Uttar Pradesh forms 12-member team to tackle infection, issues advisory

File Photo

New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh government has set up a 12-member team to monitor and deal with the challenges posed by Mucormycosis, colloquially termed ‘black fungus’ infection. 

"The team will be responsible for forming rapid response teams (RRTs), making treatment protocol, ensuring availability of medicines and database of cases, sensitisation of healthcare workers for early diagnosis and management of cases as per the ICMR guidelines," PTI quoted the government statement as saying. 

The team will comprise experts from Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow. 

Meanwhile, the UP government has issued an advisory on black fungus infection, including symptoms, precautions and treatment. 

Who is susceptible to black fungus infection: 

1. Those on steroid medication given during Covid - Dexamethasone, Methylprednisolone etc.

2. COVID-19 patients that had to be put on oxygen or kept in ICU.

3. People with diabetes issues

4. People taking medication for cancer, kidney transplant etc.

Symptoms of black fungus: 

1. Fever, headache, cough, breathlessness.

2. Nasal congestion, bleeding in the nose with mucus.

3. There is pain eyes, it becomes swollen, two is visible or stops appearing.

4. There is pain, swelling or numbness on one side of the face (do not feel touched when touched).

5. Toothache, teeth begin to move. Chewing is a pain.

6. Mucus bleeds in vomit or coughing.

Precautions

1. Do not start steroid medicine at the behest of yourself or a non-specialist doctor, friend, friend or relative. Steroid medicines like - Dexona, Medrol etc.

2. Delivering steroids in the first 5 to 7 days of symptoms has adverse effects. Do not start steroids as soon as the disease starts, this increases the disease.

3. Expert doctors give steroids for only 5-10 days to some patients, that too 5-7 days after the onset of the disease, only serious patients need a lot of investigation before that.

4. Stay in regular contact with a specialist doctor when steroids are introduced.

If you have any of the above symptoms, then immediately go to a government hospital or any other specialist doctor. Visit a nose, ear, throat, eye, medicine, chest or plastic surgery specialist immediately and start treatment.

(With PTI inputs)