COVID: Black fungus adds to India’s problems, 4,194 deaths reported Coronavirus pandemic News

The outbreak of coronavirus in India has stabilized in some parts of the country, a government official said, but on Saturday 4,194 deaths rose and infections were spreading in rural areas. A new infection, called the black fungus, is making it even more difficult.

Earlier this month, more than 400,000 new infections a day were reported in India but the numbers have gradually eased. On Saturday, government data showed 257,299 new cases.

Active cases in the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka and the coastal states of Kerala have plummeted in the past two weeks, health ministry official Lav Agarwal told reporters on Saturday.

He said the daily numbers in states include West Bengal, which has recently ended state elections, and the southern states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

With hospitals overcrowded, the health system overcrowded in cities and the lack of vaccines, experts have warned that India could face a third wave of infection in the coming months.

“Meanwhile [spread of coronavirus] it has stabilized in many parts of the country and overall the burden has decreased, we have a long way to go with this wave, ”Dr. VK Paul, a member of the federal government’s panel on COVID-19 management, said at a press conference.

“We have seen for the first time that rural areas have been affected by this pandemic.”

The total number of infections in the country was 26.3 million, the second highest in the world after the United States, and the number of deaths in the country was 295,525.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and state authorities have come under heavy criticism for failing to deal with the pandemic, as many officials are preparing for another wave.

Another major concern is the slow pace of vaccination in the country.

The Delhi chief minister said authorities had forced the cessation of vaccinations for 18- to 44-year-olds as supplies ran out.

Scare of the black fungus

The Indian government has asked states to report cases of mucormycosis, also known as black fungus – a fatal infection in patients with coronaviruses.

The disease affects eye and nose color, blurred vision, chest pain and difficulty breathing. In some cases, doctors have had to remove one or both eyes or part of the jaw to prevent the disease from spreading.

States across India have also ordered emergency measures to tackle the rise of rare infections in coronavirus patients.

According to medical professionals, diabetic patients often had the disease.

The state of Gujarat and Telangana became the last to declare black mushroom epidemics on Thursday, after a day spent in Rajasthan.

The state of Maharashtra has reported more than 2,000 cases. Gujarat, the state of Prime Minister Modi, has about 1,200 cases, officials said.

“Doctors say that coronavirus patients with diabetes and a weakened immune system are prone to infections,” Elizabeth Puranam of Al Jazeera said in New Delhi.

“They believe that the use of steroids to treat severe COVID-19 may help the condition of the pre-diabetic population.”