Recently, news circulated on social media suggesting that the main cause of the death of renowned artist Samir Ghanem was his infection with black fungus, which has spread recently in India. This speculation arose after the late artist's brother announced that Ghanem had overcome COVID-19 but suffered from acute kidney failure, revealing that the comic actor was diagnosed with "black fungus" in his eyes.
In response, some entities, including the Egyptian Center for Right to Medicine, called for clarification from the Ministry of Health. The center's executive director, Mahmoud Fouad, urged the ministry to issue a statement explaining the alarming situation regarding the arrival of the Indian variant in Egypt.
Dr. Mohamed Abdel-Fattah, head of the Central Administration for Preventive Medicine at the Ministry of Health, declined to discuss the details of the late Samir Ghanem's death, citing it as a matter of privacy that should be respected for the feelings of his family and loved ones, as well as the sanctity of death.
In exclusive statements to "Al-Masry Al-Youm," Abdel-Fattah affirmed that the Ministry of Health has not recorded any cases of black fungus infection in Egypt among COVID-19 patients, and that the rumors regarding the spread of black fungus in the country among those infected with the virus are untrue.
He added that this fungus is weak and not lethal; it exists in soil, fertilizers, and decomposing organic materials and does not reach humans through oxygen masks or dirty environments. It does not cause complications for individuals with normal immunity but only affects weakened immune patients.
Abdel-Fattah emphasized that if any infectious disease or new variant of the coronavirus were to emerge, the ministry would announce detected cases and treatment plans while addressing the epidemic. He stressed that Egypt has a strong surveillance system for epidemics that tracks all infectious diseases, their rates of spread, and provides rapid solutions to combat epidemics while staying updated with global scientific advancements.
It is noted that the disease "Mucormycosis" (black fungus) has raised concern in India due to the recent COVID-19 crisis, as it has spread significantly in the country. Black fungus results from mold found in moist environments like soil or fertilizers and can attack the respiratory system; it is non-contagious and does not spread from person to person, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
