Does COVID 19 generate a milieu for propagation of mucormycosis?

Deepak Pandiar; N Siva Kumar; Rahul Anand; Mala Kamboj; Anjali Narwal; P M Shameena

doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2021.110613

Does COVID 19 generate a milieu for propagation of mucormycosis?

Med Hypotheses. 2021 Jul:152:110613. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2021.110613. Epub 2021 May 26.

Authors

Deepak Pandiar¹, N Siva Kumar², Rahul Anand³, Mala Kamboj², Anjali Narwal², P M Shameena⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India; Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Dental Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana, India.
² Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Dental Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana, India.
³ Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Dental Sciences, Rohtak, Haryana, India. Electronic address: rahul.anand303@gmail.com.
⁴ Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Government Dental College, Kozhikode, Kerala, India.

Abstract

Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID 2019), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a dreadful infectious disease which has emerged as one of the most significant medical emergency affecting everyone directly or indirectly. COVID 2019 is a multisystem disease and causes severe immunosuppression. Initially thought to affect mainly the respiratory system, it strikes all vital organ systems and cause defects in cardio-circulatory, respiratory system and gastrointestinal systems to name a few leading to copious biochemical alterations. Reports show there is thromoembolism, raised ferritin levels, lymphocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, lactic acidosis, acute diabetes like state and cytokine storm. Data regarding levels of neutrophils is equivocal. Further there is increased incidence regarding high incidents of mucormycosis in COVID 2019 positive subjects. In the present paper, we identified and correlated the virus mediated biochemical alterations as the potential ideal environment for propagation of mucorales; and thus concentrate on early diagnosis and treatment of mucormycosis in COVID 2019 cases.

Keywords: ACE2; COVID 2019; Mucorales; Mucormycosis; SARS-CoV-2.

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Cytokine Release Syndrome
Humans
Mucormycosis*
SARS-CoV-2