What the Fungus?
First Wave Covid-19 hit the World in 2020 creating havoc across the globe. Just when you thought it’s a thing of the past, India has been hit hard with the second wave of the Corona Virus pandemic. There is an acute shortage of medical supplies, oxygen, hospital beds, and even burial place. But the Indian government is doing everything at its disposal to address this pandemic given its population size. Corona has changed many lives in the past year. Several families have been displaced, jobs have been lost, the economy has crippled. Vaccination was invented but not effective enough to reach the common man due to logistical reasons. Amid all talk about viruses, there is a new scare. That’s right it’s a Fungus.
100’s of people have been hospitalized due to the new fungus formation on the already Covid-19 recovered and recovering patients. This is resulting in more fatalities and the medical world is scrambling to find its cause and cure. These fungi are appearing in different shapes and with different symptoms. Let’s dig deeper into these fungi and see why are they appearing at this stage of the pandemic.
Well firstly, what the hell is fungus? According to the Oxford dictionary, Fungus is “any of a group of spore-producing organisms feeding on organic matter, including molds, yeast, mushrooms, and toadstools”. A spore is nothing but a tiny one-celled reproductive unit that can multiple without sexual fusion. These spores can grow very rapidly feeding on organic matter. Fungal growth can be a bi-product of the low immunity system inside our body. In recent times, there are 3 types of fungi identified in the Indian subcontinent.
Black fungus:
As per the Centre for disease control (CDC), the Black fungus is caused by mucormycosis a rare fungal disease by caused a group of molds called mucormycetes. When someone inhales spores that float in the air, they are likely to get affected. When they are battling with lung or respiratory infections or with a lower natural immunity system the growth of Black fungus amplifies. The discoloration on the skin where the skin turns black due to the fungal presence is called a Black fungus. Some of the Black Fungus symptoms include discoloration of the skin around the nose or eyes, double vision, or chest pain.
White fungus.
The white fungus also terms as Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused due to yeast known as Candida. Candida exists in the human body all the time and the body’s immune system fights to keep these fungal levels in check. Whenever the human body’s immune system drops, candida takes over the body. Candida which usually resides on the skin or in places such as the mouth, gut, or private parts grows out of proportion causing health hazards in these areas of the human body.
Yellow Fungus.
Yellow fungus is a similar fungal disease along the lines of Black fungus and White fungus. Symptoms include sunken eyes due to malnutrition, oozing of pus materials from wounds, and necrosis. Symptoms of Yellow fungus show up very late for diagnosis causing more permanent damage to organs or tissues.
Our body’s immune system is vital. Most of the viruses or fungi are caused by the lower immunity system in our body. Keeping our surroundings and environment clean is quintessential. Having proper diet and exercise to our body is also very much need of the hour. Get any medical help whenever mild symptoms of viruses or fungi show up. Early diagnosis can lead to an early cure and a lower risk of permanent damage to the vital organs. Government can only help us at the macro level but our health is our responsibility. Our healthy habits can also help keep our neighbors and society safe. Stay Safe and Stay Healthy and maintain adequate social distancing.
PS: I am no biologist or medical expert. As we battle through pandemics, my only goal is to give some information about fungi lurking around us and differentiate between them. If you find it useful, kindly subscribe to my blogs and follow me for more articles.
