COVID-19 also damages the spine, a rare infection found in patients cured of the virus – Outney.net

A fungal infection that mimics spinal tuberculosis was found in patients cured by Covidi.

A 66-year-old patient was diagnosed with moderate fever and severe discomfort in the lower back a month after being cured of COVID-19, indicating the existence of this fungal infection. The patient was initially treated with muscle relaxants and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but there was no improvement.

Spondylodiscitis was discovered after a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, which showed extensive infection-related bone damage in the spinal disc cavities. Invasive fungal disease, known in medicine as osteomyelitis aspergillus, has been difficult to identify as it mimics spinal tuberculosis (TB). This type of fungus is found in the oral cavities of people without COVID, as well as in the lungs in rare cases, according to Helthsite.

Infectious disease expert Parikarish Prayag of Mangeshkar Hospital informed that spinal osteomyelitis caused by the fungal species aspergillus was diagnosed in four patients in three months. Previously, no case of vertebral osteomyelitis has been described in patients after COVID in India, he added.

All four had severe Covid and were treated with steroids to help them overcome Covid-related symptoms such as pneumonia and other difficulties. Long-term use of corticosteroids, according to the expert, may increase the risk of opportunistic infections, depending on the underlying disease being treated and other medications used.

Mucormycosis: Another more common fungal infection in cured patients

Another fungal infection that has affected people who have been cured of COVID is mucormycosis caused by a group of fungi known as mucormycetes. Molds like these are found naturally in the environment. People, on the other hand, are affected when the body’s immune system is compromised and vulnerable. After inhaling the fungal spores from the air, it affects the lungs and sinuses. The fungus can also enter the body through cuts or open wounds. This infection is also thought to be caused by long-term use of corticosteroids.