Dr. Amitkumar Shah, DNB Medicine, Consultant Physician at AXIS Hospital
Currently, we are still learning about how the SARS – CoV – 2 virus behaves in animals and its transmission among other animals and to and from humans.
However, based on existing studies, the risk of animals spreading COVID – 19 to people is considered to be low. Companion animals like dogs and cats have been infected but this is because they were in contact with an infected patient. The incidence of transmission of COVID – 19 from pets to humans has not been observed.
In the wild, big cats and certain primates have contracted the virus due to contact with an infected human but spread among animals is not seen.
Perhaps the most prominent outbreak among animals has been in the case of mink; many mink farms across Denmark, Netherlands, Poland, and the US experienced an outbreak of the SARS – CoV – 2 virus with genetic mutation specific to minks. Transmission to and from humans was seen.
However, the risk is only prevalent for people working on the mink farms. Recent experiments show that many more animals like ferrets, mice, rabbits, raccoons, ducks, chicken, bats, etc can be infected with the virus but no occurrence of this is seen in the wild.
Combination of COVID – 19, diabetes and corticosteroids causing deadly fungal infection among patients
A deadly fungal infection called mucormycosis has been affecting diabetic patients suffering from COVID – 19. Research suggests that the catalyst are the steroids that are part of the basic COVID – 19 treatment plan. The combination of diabetes, COVID -19, and steroids has been labeled as the ‘unholy trinity’ for patients. While mucormycosis is relatively rare under normal circumstances, when infected with the SARS – CoV – 2 virus, the body’s immune system goes into overdrive, which can cause more damage to the body. Corticosteroids like tocilizumab are given as immunosuppressants to curtail this.
Moreover, diabetes patients are observed to have even more severe COVID – 19 symptoms. These patients who are already susceptible to mucormycosis now have an even higher risk of catching it because of their Covid-19.
Add to this the fact that these steroids are also shown to make it hard for the body to control blood sugar levels and that the mucormycosis-causing fungi thrives when the body has high blood sugar, and the results can be deadly. In fact, the global fatality rate for mucormycosis is 47%.
The increased incidence of mucormycosis might signal an epidemic within the COVID – 19 pandemic. Researchers have stated that the one-size-fits-all approach to treating COVID -19 needs urgent re-examination.