STUDY OF MUCORMYCOSIS IN PEOPLE WITH COVID-19 AND ITS TEMPORAL ASSOCIATIONS CONCERNING COMORBIDITIES, DRUGS BEING USED, AND OVERALL CHARACTERISTICS: A MECHANISTIC EXPLANATION OF MUCORMYCOSIS IN COVID-19

Background: Long-term use of corticosteroids in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients have often been associated with opportunistic fungal infections such as mucormycosis. Delay in diagnosis could be fatal. Aims and Objectives: To evaluate the temporal associations of mucormycosis with comorbidities, association with drugs being used in Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and overall characteristics of patients with its outcome. Materials and Methods: Ninety-eight patients with mucormycosis were studied prospectively at NSCB Medical College and Hospital, Jabalpur. The patients presentation details, COVID-19 status, imaging findings of the chest, brain, PNS and orbit, comorbidities, duration of steroid intake, oxygen requirement were obtained. Results: Mucormycosis was more prevalent in males (83.6%) and COVID-19 positive patients (80.2%). Sixty-eight percent had uncontrolled diabetes, 20.48% were prediabetic, and 89.8% were on steroids 51.9% took a steroid for more than 10 days. Oxygen was required in 63% of patients during COVID-19 treatment. Conclusion: The trilogy of DM, unrestricted use of corticosteroids, and COVID-19 infection lead to increased incidence of mucormycosis in India.