DGHS to issue guidelines on “black fungus” treatment

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) is going to issue specific guidelines on the management and treatment of the deadly "black fungus" that spread in India recently.

The Covid-19 National Technical Advisory Committee is considering the matter seriously and will finalise the directives, Nazmul Islam, spokesperson for the DGHS, said.

The health directorate also held discussions on the deadly fungus and already sent an alert to districts, he said.

Briefing reporters on Sunday, he said patients diagnosed with black fungus were found in Maharashtra, Gujarat and even West Bengal of India, and some states had declared it as an epidemic.

"In Bangladesh, we are also on high alert so that amid the current Covid-19 situation, black fungus or mucormycosis cannot put any additional pressure on the healthcare system."

He further said, "So far, nine patients with the Indian coronavirus variant were spotted here and genome sequencing is going on. We believe the number may rise after receiving the reports as the Indian variant is highly contagious."

People should enhance the practice of general precautions, such as washing hands and social distancing, to contain the transmission of the virus, he insisted.

Responding to a question about mixing vaccine doses of different companies, he said no decision had yet been made on the matter.

"We will decide this after getting adequate information from organisations, such as the World Health Organisation and the United States Food and Drug Administration."

He said the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine stocks would completely run out by the end of this week and if a new shipment was not available, about 1.5 million people would face delays in getting the second dose.

Meanwhile, more than 8,800 cases of black fungus have been reported in India. The rare infection has a mortality rate of 50%, with some only saved by removing an eye. But in recent months, India saw thousands of cases affecting recovered and recovering Covid-19 patients, reports BBC.

Doctors say there is a link with the steroids used to treat Covid-19 for the infection and diabetics are particularly at risk.

One of my top priorities is to get vaccines: US envoy

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller said one of his top priorities was working with the government of Bangladesh and the private sector to get vaccines, oxygen concentrators, personal protective equipment, and other urgently needed health supplies here quickly.

Speaking as the guest of honour at a virtual event titled "US-Bangladesh Economic Relation: Migration to a developing nation" and organised by the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh, he said US President Biden had reaffirmed his commitment to leading an international and coordinated vaccination effort, announcing last week the US would donate 80 million American vaccines worldwide.  

"The US is donating $4 billion to the Covax global vaccine programme. America is, once again, the largest contributor by far."

28 more Covid-19 deaths, 1,354 new cases

Bangladesh reported 28 more deaths from Covid-19 in the last 24 hours till 8am Sunday, taking the total death count to 12,376. The fatality rate was 1.57%.

Meanwhile, 1,354 more people were infected with Covid-19 during this period, which took the case count to 789,080. 

In the 24 hours, the positivity rate was recorded at 8.9% after testing 15,205 samples in 486 labs across the country.