Coronavirus Diseases (covid -19) and Mucormycosis: A Mini-Review

Abstract

Introduction: Mucormycosis is an opportunistic infection emerging as a major public health problem during the COVID-19 pandemic. Predisposing factors such as Diabetes mellitus (DM) as well as use of corticosteroids in COVID-19 patients act as a key role for the surge of the disease. However, the epidemiological factors, site of the infections, demographic details, morbidity and mortality of the patients were not well documented, so we undertook the study to review the published original articles, case series, and case report on mucormycosis associated with COVID-19 with predisposing factors such as DM and the use of corticosteroids, Methods: On analysis of 30 articles from India as well as from other countries. Results: After analysis of the available data, it was found that mucormycosis is predominantly seen in males in the age of 50±5. The common site of the infection was rhino-orbital mucormycosis followed by rhino orbital cerebral. Pre-existing DM was the most significant risk factor followed by corticosteroid treatment along with hospitals supplying oxygen to patients. The hospital environment also play a significant role for the sudden rise of the disease. Conclusion: To overcome this severe situation in the future, there is a need to maintain optimal hyperglycemia in the population, avoid overuse of corticosteroids, and proper hospital infection control (HIC) program in order to reduce the burden of fatal mucormycosis.