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Review
. 2023 Aug;75(4):817-837.
doi: 10.1007/s43440-023-00506-z. Epub 2023 Jun 24.

Secondary fungal infections in SARS-CoV-2 patients: pathological whereabouts, cautionary measures, and steadfast treatments

Raj Singh #  1 , Parth Malik #  2 , Mukesh Kumar  1 , Raman Kumar  1 , Md Shamshir Alam  3 , Tapan Kumar Mukherjee  4   5
Affiliations
Review

Secondary fungal infections in SARS-CoV-2 patients: pathological whereabouts, cautionary measures, and steadfast treatments

Raj Singh et al. Pharmacol Rep. 2023 Aug.

Abstract

The earliest documented COVID-19 case caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus occurred in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Since then, several SARS-CoV-2 mutants have rapidly disseminated as exemplified by the community spread of the recent omicron variant. The disease already attained a pandemic status with ever-dwindling mortality even after two and half years of identification and considerable vaccination. Aspergillosis, candidiasis, cryptococcosis and mucormycosis are the prominent fungal infections experienced by the majority of SARS-CoV-2 high-risk patients. In its entirety, COVID-19's nexus with these fungal infections may worsen the intricacies in the already beleaguered high-risk patients, making this a topic of substantial clinical concern. Thus, thorough knowledge of the subject is necessary. This article focuses on the concomitant fungal infection(s) in COVID-19 patients, taking into account their underlying causes, the screening methods, manifested drug resistance, and long-term effects. The information and knowledge shared herein could be crucial for the management of critically ill, aged, and immunocompromised SARS-CoV-2 patients who have had secondary fungal infections (SFIs).

Keywords: Aspergillosis; COVID-19; Candidiasis; Cryptococcosis; Drug resistance; Fungal infection; Mucormycosis; SARS-CoV-2.

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