COVID-19 associated mucormycosis: evolving technologies for early and rapid diagnosis

Abstract

The post-coronavirus disease (COVID-19) mucormycosis is a deadly addition to the pandemic spectrum. Although it’s a rare, aggressive, and opportunistic disease, the associated morbidity and mortality are significant. The complex interplay of factors aggravating CAM is uncontrolled diabetes, irrational and excessive use of antibiotics, steroids, and an impaired immune system. Recently, India has been witnessing a rapid surge in the cases of coronavirus disease-associated mucormycosis (CAM), since the second wave of COVID-19. The devastating and lethal implications of CAM had now become a matter of global attention. A delayed diagnosis is often associated with a poor prognosis. Therefore, the rapid and early diagnosis of infection would be life-saving. Prevention and effective management of mucormycosis depend upon its early and accurate diagnosis followed by a multimodal therapeutic approach. The current review summarizes an array of detection methods and highlights certain evolving technologies for early and rapid diagnosis of CAM. Furthermore, several potential management strategies have also been discussed, which would aid in tackling the neglected yet fatal crisis of mucormycosis associated with COVID-19.

Mucormycosis diagnosis revisited: Current and emerging diagnostic methodologies for the invasive fungal infection (Review)

“…Silicon, metals, polymers, ceramics, glass and, more recently, nanocomposite materials have all been used to create micro-needle devices (34). Historically, infectious illnesses, such as tuberculosis, were diagnosed using micro-needle based platforms (35).…”

A case control investigation of COVID-19 associated mucormycosis in India

“…The present multi-site, nationwide study clearly depicted that the trend of CAM cases in hospitals in India peaked during the month of May 2021, about a month following the peak in admission of COVID-19 cases in April of the same year. This could probably be explained by complex immune response due to SARS-CoV-2 infection leading to a stage of immunosuppression after the initial cytokine storm, particularly during the second week of infection [ 16 , 17 ]. Immunosuppression due to COVID-19 associated treatment with steroid could have further compounded this phenomenon.…”

A case control investigation of COVID-19 associated Mucormycosis in India

“…The present multi-site, nationwide study clearly depicted the trend of CAM cases in hospitals in India peaking during the month of May 2021, approximately a month following the peak in COVID-19 cases in April of the same year. This could probably be explained by complex immune response due to SARS CoV-2 infection leading to a stage of immunosuppression after the initial cytokine storm, particularly during the second week of infection [14,15]. Immunosuppression occurring due to COVID-19 associated treatment with steroid could further compound this phenomenon.…”