Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-associated mucormycosis (CAM): The unholy triad of COVID-19, diabetes mellitus, and corticosteroid therapy

Abstract

The whole world has battled with multiple waves of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus. However, the second wave of COVID-19 had caused a worldwide havoc in terms of disease transmissibility, severity, and mortality. India has been among the worst hit countries during the second wave, which substantially overburdened and overwhelmed the Indian health care system. While secondary infections and co-infections among COVID-19 patients were increasingly being reported, COVID-19-associated mucormycosis (CAM) emerged as a new challenge particularly from India and became a matter of immediate concern. The most common causes attributed to the rise of CAM were undiagnosed/uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, excessive use of corticosteroids, and prolonged hospital stay, all of which create a perfect environment for mucormycosis infection to set in.

Keywords

• arcturus
• diabetic ketoacidosis
• invasive fungal infection
• mucorales
• omicron
• variant of concern