Dealing with COVID-19 catastrophe, India now ravaged by 'black fungus'

The fungal infection may be hitting harder due to steroids used to treat COVID.

Amid the staggering 300,000 to 400,000 COVID-19 infections reported daily over the last week in India, doctors are now reporting a new problem: a growing number of a deadly fungal infections among those recovering from coronavirus. Experts believe these infections, known as mucormycosis -- which had a high prevalence in India, compared to other countries, prior to the current pandemic -- are not caused by COVID-19 itself. Rather, some doctors in India believe these fungal infections are exacerbated by the use of steroids, a common treatment for COVID-19, which can suppress the immune system. Mucorales is a fungus found worldwide and most people with working immune systems never know they have been in contact with this mold since the immune system does its job of keeping it at bay.