Black Fungus patient referred from Silchar gets discharged from GMCH; "His condition is stable," doctor

Karimganj’s Alok Deb becomes the first post-COVID mucormycosis patient of Barak Valley to be discharged from the hospital. He was referred to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital from Silchar Medical College and Hospital on June 5. The doctors in SMCH saw an abscess in the brain of the patient and for advance neurosurgical treatment, he was transferred to GMCH though it was not certain if he would indeed need surgery. The doctors here said it was a precautionary measure, in case he needs one.

He didn’t need the surgery and got discharged from GMCH after his condition became stable. Alok had tested positive for COVID19 in the first week of May and was admitted to the district hospital in Karimganj. He developed breathing complications and the doctors in Karimganj referred him to Silchar Medical College adn Hospital. But he took admission to a private nursing home and there he was treated for COVID on oxygen support. On May 15 he took discharge from the hospital and stayed at a lodge in Silchar. On May 17 he was admitted to another private hospital, his primary problems were difficulties in breathing, headache and swelling eye.

He was treated at the private hospital till May 25, according to the family members, he was discharged as the doctors deemed him fit. However, next day his oxygen saturation level dropped again and his eye was swollen again. He was then rushed to the SMCH where the doctors performed a KOH test (potassium hydroxide preparation), which is a preliminary examination that suggested the patient could indeed be a case of Mucormycosis, first among patients who have recovered from COVID in Barak Valley and second in Assam.

Based on the KOH test, the doctors at SMCH administered Amphotericin B, an anti-fungal drug used to cure patients suffering from Black Fungus or Mucormycosis. Later the biopsy and culture report too confirmed that Deb was indeed suffering from Mucormycosis. He has a young son at home and his brother used to stay with him at the hospital where was kept in a cabin in isolation. His family members said that at one stage, he was in so much pain that he could not open his eyes properly.

Today,Alok Deb got discharged from GMCH, “The patient is stable and was discharged. His parameters are fine from the ENT side and the intracranial (brain) side as well,” informed Dr. Bharati Gogoi, Professor, and HOD, Opthalmology – GMCH and a Member of the special committee constituted to treat the mucormycosis patient referred from Silchar Medical College and Hospital.

Speaking with Barak Bulletin, she added, “The infection started from his nasal cavity and one of his eyes got affected as his nerve was involved due to mucormycosis so he completely lost vision in one eye. There is no need for any eye surgery as that eye is quiet.” His other eye has vision and he is able to see.

Dr. Bharati Gogoi informed, “His complications have gradually reduced as he was injected Amphotericin B intravenously but oral doses are required for a longer period of time which we prescribed.”