Fear still surrounds COVID-19 patients regarding the infection of black fungus, which has become a trending topic on social media in recent days. Dr. Mohamed Ezzat El-Arab, a professor of internal medicine and founder of the Liver Tumor Unit at the National Liver Institute in Egypt, has provided several tips for COVID-19 patients to avoid black fungus, confirming that this disease has been present for many years but infections are rare.
Dr. Ezzat El-Arab advised COVID-19 patients, as well as others with weakened immune systems, to avoid taking antibiotics and immunosuppressive medications, as well as to steer clear of corticosteroid treatments, which can weaken the immune response, making individuals more prone to black fungus infection.
The professor emphasized the need to avoid treatment protocols circulating on social media and to adhere to the protocols set by the responsible authorities in Egypt, maintaining regular communication with a physician. He stressed that there is no direct relationship between COVID-19 and black fungus, but the latter tends to affect individuals who have immune deficiencies. He explained that the overlap of both conditions in some patients is due to the weakened immune response occurring with COVID-19 infection.
Earlier, the late comedian Samir Ghanem's brother made headlines by announcing that the late artist had suffered from black fungus, known for its severity, as people can contract this fungal disease through inhaling unhealthy or unclean air that contains numerous fungal cells, such as those found in hospitals or homes in various ways.
A few days ago, Dr. Hossam Hosny, head of the Scientific Committee for Combating COVID-19 in Egypt, acknowledged one or two diagnosed cases of black fungus in the country, affirming that there is no country in the world free from these fungi that have existed since ancient times.
