US: Deadly fungus rampantly spread at COVID ward of Florida hospital, study finds
People who were treated for coronavirus (COVID-19) at a Florida hospital last summer also caught a mysterious fungal disease, a recently released study said.
- World News
- 2 min read
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People who were treated for coronavirus at a Florida hospital last summer also caught a mysterious fungal disease, a recently released study by the US government revealed. Named Candida auris, the fungus causes damage to the bloodstream, wound and ear infections. It also found in urine and respiratory samples, however, there is no evidence to testify if it actually attacks the bladder or lungs.
In its report, the Centre for Drugs Control and Prevention revealed that it was in July 2020 when an unnamed hospital notified the state’s Health Department about the initial four cases of fungus amongst patients being treated for the coronavirus. In the following month, the hospital carried out additional screening in its COVID-19 unit and identified 35 more patients being infected by c-auris. Out of these 35, 20 patients were eventually followed up and it was discovered that eight of these 20 died. However, experts are still probing into the actual cause of death.
In a follow-up investigation, the Florida Department of Health and CDC found certain weaknesses in the conduct of hospital which led the infection spread. Firstly, the hospital equipment was not always disinfected. In addendum, the hospital staff was always wearing multiple layers of PPE kits which eventually enhanced the microbial transmission. Lastly, the joint also found several instances of re-use of PPEs.
What is c- auris?
Initially discovered in Japan in 2009, the multidrug-resistant yeast has been spreading rapidly across the globe. The fungal infection is usually found inside the healthcare setting especially when people have feeding or breathing tubes, or catheters placed in large veins. As of October 31, 2020, the c.autiris has been reported in more than 30 countries across the world.
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This comes as actress Hilary Duff shared on January 4, 2021, that she endured severe pain due to an eye infection that was caused by taking too many COVID-19 tests. As per the reports by the outlet, eye infections have not been reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health experts as a side effect for getting COVID tests done, thus it is unclear what caused her the eye infection. The Hollywood actor took to her Instagram handle and shared snippets from her 'trip to the hospital'.