Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) remains a health concern with new challenges emerging as the pandemic progresses. The recent rise of opportunistic infections especially mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients is further complicating their outcomes. Mucormycosis is well known to infect patients with diabetes mellitus, malignancy, chemotherapy, and other immunocompromised conditions. The treatment of COVID-19 largely remains systemic steroids and other immunomodulators that add to the risk of invasive fungal infection. Methodology: Here, we present a retrospective case series of 13 patients with individual clinical characteristics along with the demography and treatment details. The data were collected retrospectively in a single center that caters to a large population of COVID-19 patients with varying severity. Results: Thirteen patients were presented with COVID-19 associated mucormycosis (CAM). The median age was higher in non-survivors (49.5 years), with a higher odds of death (23.8) in those with severe COVID, having overall mortality of 64.3%. Moreover, diabetes mellitus was present in 61.5% of patients with a mortality of 75%. About 11 (84.6%) patients had received prior steroids for COVID-19. The incidence of hyperglycemia at admission was equal among both survivors and non-survivors. Conclusion: The prevalence of mucormycosis seems to be increasing among COVID-19 patients which may be associated with increased use of steroids, the possible immunocompromised state imposed by SARS-CoV-2, or co-existing conditions such as diabetes mellitus. The mortality of CAM is remarkably high and apart from preventive practices and rational use of immunomodulators, a high index of suspicion with early diagnosis would be key to survival.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Diabetes Mellitus, Steroids, Mucormycosis, CAM, 【초록키워드】 Treatment, SARS-CoV-2, Mortality, Clinical characteristics, severity, risk, immunomodulator, COVID, Chemotherapy, Prevalence, outcomes, early diagnosis, immunomodulators, Health, survival, Patient, death, Immunocompromised, Systemic steroid, incidence, hyperglycemia, disease, Admission, retrospective, COVID-19 patient, Fungal infection, malignancy, steroid, opportunistic infection, Non-survivors, overall mortality, median age, single center, survivor, infect, invasive, non-survivor, case sery, condition, conditions, higher odd, pandemic progresses, patients with diabete, use of steroids, with COVID-19, 【제목키워드】 Sery, Tertiary,