Here's How Industrial Oxygen Cylinders Usage For COVID-19 Patients Is Linked To Black Fungus Infections

Rise In Mucormycosis Cases: At a time when people have been suffering from several post-COVID-19 fungal infections like Black fungus and reportedly white fungus, yellow fungus, experts are speculating the cause of these infections, and one of these speculations is the use of industrial oxygen and its possible contamination.

Doctors have expressed their doubts over the increasing cases of Mucormycosis and many doctors from Mumbai think that the usage of non-medical oxygen cylinders for COVID-19 patients could have a possible role in the rise of cases of Black Fungus all over the country.

Rise In Mucormycosis Cases And Oxygen Cylinders:

The use of high dose steroids to treat COVID-19 patients and uncontrolled diabetes have already been identified as the primary factors behind the rising cases of black fungus by the experts. The use of high dose steroids and industrial oxygen for the treatment of COVID-19 patients have been done all over the country to meet the rising oxygen demand.

According to doctors, the manufacturing process of medical and industrial oxygen are different and industrial oxygen cylinders are often prone to leaks when being transported, and are not medical grade. The level of hygiene of industrial oxygen cylinders are often compromised and are not usually suitable for medical purposes due to the chances of infections.

It is highly likely that if the water used in the humidifier bottle is not sterile and clean, the patient would inhale fungal spores. The chances of the water getting contaminated in industrial oxygen cylinders are high.

Dr Kapil Salgia, who is an infectious diseases specialist told IndiaToday that there have been instances of the same cylinder being used for two patients and some patients were even seen using a non-rebreather mask.

"Due to shortage of oxygen, we have seen two patients using the same cylinder and even the same non-rebreather mask. This could have also led to fungal infections," he said.

Dr Kapil Salgia, who is a pulmonologist at the Bombay Hospital has been treating patients of Mucormycosis said that oxygen masks used by COVID-19 patients should be discarded and new masks should be used for the next patient.