The brother of the late Egyptian artist Samir Ghanem revealed a surprise announcement, stating that he had previously contracted mucormycosis. This disease is known for its severity, as individuals become infected with fungal diseases that can be transmitted through inhaling unhealthy or unclean air containing many fungal spores, such as those that spread in hospitals or homes in various ways.
However, a medical source indicated that Samir Ghanem died directly due to the effects of the COVID-19 virus on the kidneys and other internal organs, which exacerbated his long-standing kidney disease. The source clarified that mucormycosis was not the cause of his death in any way, but rather the effects of COVID-19.
The source told "Al Ittihad" that the medical team worked intensively throughout the month of the artist's illness to aid his recovery, describing it as one of the most difficult cases the medical team encountered among COVID-19 patients, alongside close monitoring from the scientific committee for combating the virus. Nevertheless, he ultimately passed away due to the autoimmune diseases he was suffering from.
Mucormycosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, is a serious but rare fungal infection caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes. These molds are found throughout the environment, particularly in soil and decaying organic matter, like leaves, compost piles, or rotting wood.
Individuals can contract mucormycosis by coming into contact with fungal spores in the environment; for example, lung or sinus infections can occur after inhaling the spores. These forms of mucormycosis usually occur in people with health issues or those taking medications that reduce the body's ability to fight germs and illness (which causes immunocompromise). Mucormycosis can also develop on the skin if the fungus enters through a wound, scrape, burn, or any other type of skin trauma.
