White fungus is a fungal infection also called Candida in medical language. It is a rare infection that affects every part of the body through blood and rapidly destroys the cells of the patient's delicate organs like eyes, throat, intestines, liver, tongue, etc. due to which the organs stop functioning. The attack of this fungus is so fast that it ruins the vital organs of the patient within 2-3 days.

The immunity of corona-infected patients decreases after beating the coronavirus due to which they are easily falling prey to deadly diseases like white fungus. In this situation, even after beating the corona, the patient dies due to the failure of other parts of the body. According to Dr. Ravikant Chaturvedi of Samford Hospital, white fungus easily attacks the corona infected, especially the diabetic patients.

According to doctors, white fungus is more deadly than other fungal infections because it affects every part of the body. It can infect nails, skin, stomach, kidneys, brain, private parts, and mouth as well as lungs. Although people affected by this fungus are not necessarily infected with covid, its symptoms are largely similar to those patients infected with the coronavirus.

Causes of White fungus

The exact reason behind the outbreak of White Fungus is not yet known but many experts have told the possibility of this infection reaching the body of corona-infected patients through oxygen cylinders. According to him, white fungus infection can be caused by using tap water in a dirty oxygen cylinder or a humidifier connected to the oxygen cylinder. Along with this, excessive use of steroids can also be a reason for this.

How does White fungus enter the body?

According to Sheetal Verma, Senior Doctor, Department of Microbiology, KGMU, Candida i.e. white fungus occurs in people with weak immunity. It is especially easy to attack patients with diabetes, HIV, or those who use steroids more. This infection affects every part of the body through the blood. This disease is caused by a fungus called mucormycetes, which reaches the rest of the body through the nose. This fungus is in the air and gets into the nose when air is inhaled. Apart from this, this infection also occurs due to the coming of this fungus in contact with the cracked part of the body.

Symptoms of White Fungus

The initial case of white fungus in the country is believed to be a combination of Aspergillus and Candida fungal infections, both of these are fungal infections where Candida can occur mainly on any part of the skin, Aspergillus is an allergy that can cause damage from the skin to lungs, brain, kidneys, etc. Aspergillus form of white fungus can prove to be more dangerous. Aspergillus infection can occur when microorganisms commonly found in the environment, soil, trees, and plants enter the body through inhalation. Normally our body is capable of fighting this type of infection but the weakened immune system due to any disease like corona, HIV-AIDS, diabetes, asthma is not able to fight properly. After this, the following symptoms may appear in the body-

• Fever
• Weakness
• Blood clots in cough
• Breathlessness
• Weight loss
• Joint pain
• Bleeding nose
• Skin marks, etc.

Whether corona is infected or not, if there is a rash on the body, burning in the eyes, boils in the tongue, jamming of the throat, difficulty in sputum, then it can be a symptom of white fungus. In this case, without delay contact the doctor. According to Dr. Chaturvedi, the white fungus grows very much within two to three days. In such a situation, delaying may even lead to tongue bites. Therefore, if you feel anything unusual in the body, immediately contact the doctor.

What is the difference between black fungus and white fungus?

According to the information provided by the doctors so far, black fungus has been found in those patients of corona who were given too many steroids whereas cases of white fungus are also possible in those patients who did not get corona. Black fungus most commonly affects the eyes and brain, while white fungus easily affects the lungs, kidneys, intestines, stomach, and nails. Apart from this, black fungus is known for its high death rate and it has a death rate of around 50%, that is, one out of every two people is in danger of losing their life but there is no data yet regarding the death rate in white fungus.

Why is White fungus more dangerous than Black fungus?

White fungus also attacks many parts of the body like lungs, skin, brain, etc. like black fungus but the reason that makes it more dangerous than black fungus i.e, mucormycosis is the intensity and severity of its spread in the body. It spreads more rapidly to the lungs and other important organs of the body such as the brain, digestive system, kidneys, nails, and genitals than the black fungus and causes serious damage. The lungs of covid-19 patients are already weak and then they are unable to withstand the fast and severe attack of this infection. So far, this reason is being considered as the root cause behind the dangerousness of white fungus.

White fungus Tests

To check for white fungus, doctors suggest getting the following tests done-

• Chest X-Ray
• Blood test
• CT scan, etc.

If the patient gets RT-PCR done after showing symptoms like corona infection and the test result comes negative, then experts advise him to get HRCT done for corona. In this, the lungs look like spheres, which are different from the corona, then patients are examined for sputum culture, in which it is confirmed.

Treatment and Prevention of White fungus

Doctors use antifungal medicine to treat white fungus. Generally, drugs like amphotericin-B, voriconazole, etc. are used to treat Aspergillus. However, white fungus cannot be completely prevented, but it can still be avoided to some extent by the following precautions-

• Do not go to dusty or dirty places.
• Use masks.
• Eat food that strengthens the immune system.
• Practice yoga and exercise.

Why are Covid-19 patients getting white fungus?

The biggest and common thing between covid-19 and white fungus is that the symptoms seen after this fungal infection reach the lungs exactly match the symptoms of the coronavirus. In many cases, it has been seen that patients keep getting Covid-19 tests done but with the result coming negative, the symptoms persist. This fungal infection also preys on people with weak immune systems. Since the coronavirus already weakens the body's immunity, so white fungus easily makes the patient its victim. It has been seen through the HRCT test that due to white fungus also, corona-like patches appear in the lungs.

White fungus appears as Cream spots in Newborns and Leucorrhoea in Women

Women and newborns are also more prone to white fungus. In women, it is seen as leucorrhoea, i.e, white discharge from the genitalia, and in newborns it comes out as the fungus Dior candidiasis disease in which spots of cream color are visible. It is the main cause of leucorrhoea in women. Apart from this, patients suffering from cancer, HIV, and malnutrition can catch this white fungus because they also have weak immunity.