The COVID-19 pandemic involved millions of people and diabetes was identified as an associated comorbidity. Initiation of systemic corticosteroids in patients suffering from severe COVID-19 was associated with lower mortality. A surge of invasive fungal infections of the maxillofacial region, namely mucormycosis, was linked to a deadly infection known as black fungus. Black fungus, diabetes, corticosteroids, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) all have a dysregulated immune response in common, which partly could also be attributed to interleukin 37 (IL-37). IL-37, a new cytokine of the IL-1 family, known for broadly reducing innate inflammation as well as acquired immune responses. The use of corticosteroids in diabetic COVID-19 patients, crowded hospitals, and lack of medical oxygen should be carefully considered to reduce COVID-associated secondary infections. Graphical Abstract
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Corticosteroids, Mucormycosis, T2D, IL-37, 【초록키워드】 coronavirus disease, Inflammation, severe COVID-19, COVID-19 pandemic, Infection, Comorbidity, oxygen, cytokine, diabetes, hospitals, immune responses, Patient, IL-1, secondary infections, COVID-19 patients, Fungal infection, black, Diabetic, dysregulated immune response, lower mortality, invasive, lack, involved, reducing, reduce, diabete, Initiation, systemic corticosteroid, use of corticosteroid, 【제목키워드】 fungus, black,