Diseases (Sep 2021)

COVID-19 Associated Mucormycosis: A Systematic Review from Diagnostic Challenges to Management

  • Farah Yasmin,
  • Hala Najeeb,
  • Aisha Naeem,
  • Kartik Dapke,
  • Rachana Phadke,
  • Muhammad Sohaib Asghar,
  • Syed Muhammad Ismail Shah,
  • Domenico De Berardis,
  • Irfan Ullah

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases9040065
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9, no. 4
p. 65

Abstract

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has caused significant destruction, claiming over three million lives worldwide. Post SARS-COV-2 invasion, immunosuppression with hyperglycemia and elevated ferritin levels along with steroidal treatment creates a perfect storm for opportunistic infections. There is increasing evidence of mucormycosis co-infection in COVID-19 patients, during or post-treatment. A worse prognosis, a late diagnosis, and limited guidelines of screening and management of COVID-19 associated mucormycosis have made healthcare professionals fear an epidemic alongside a pandemic. This review geographically reports cases of COVID-19 associated mucormycosis (CAM), evaluates characteristics, clinical manifestations, and outcomes of mucormycosis in COVID-19 active or recovered patients. It further describes preventive strategies and recommendations for optimal management therapy that can be adopted worldwide to curtail an impending threat to the healthcare system.

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