Publications
Multicenter Case-Control Study of COVID-19-Associated Mucormycosis Outbreak, India
Muthu V, Agarwal R, Rudramurthy SM, Thangaraju D, Shevkani MR, Patel AK, Shastri PS, Tayade A, Bhandari S, Gella V, Savio J, Madan S, Hallur VK, Maturu VN, Srinivasan A, Sethuraman N, Sibia RPS, Pujari S, Mehta R, Singhal T, Saxena P, Gupta V, Nagvekar V, Prayag P, Patel D, Xess I, Savaj P, Panda N, Rajagopal GD, Parwani RS, Patel K, Deshmukh A, Vyas A, Sistla SK, Padaki PA, Ramar D, Sarkar S, Rachagulla B, Vallandaramam P, Premachandran KP, Pawar S, Gugale P, Hosamani P, Dutt SN, Nair S, Kalpakkam H, Badhwar S, Kompella KK, Singla N, Navlakhe M, Prayag A, Singh G, Dhakecha P, Chakrabarti A. We performed a case–control study across 25 hospitals in India for the period of January–June 2021 to evaluate the reasons for an COVID-19–associated mucormycosis (CAM) outbreak. We investigated whether COVID-19 treatment practices (glucocorticoids, zinc, tocilizumab, and others) were associated with CAM. We included 1,733 cases of CAM and 3,911 age-matched COVID-19 controls. We found cumulative glucocorticoid dose (odds ratio [OR] 1.006, 95% CI 1.004–1.007) and zinc supplementation (OR 2.76, 95% CI 2.24–3.40), along with elevated C-reactive protein (OR 1.004, 95% CI 1.002–1.006), host factors (renal transplantation [OR 7.58, 95% CI 3.31–17.40], diabetes mellitus [OR 6.72, 95% CI 5.45–8.28], diabetic ketoacidosis during COVID-19 [OR 4.41, 95% CI 2.03–9.60]), and rural residence (OR 2.88, 95% CI 2.12–3.79), significantly associated with CAM. Mortality rate at 12 weeks was 32.2% (473/1,471). We emphasize the judicious use of COVID-19 therapies and optimal glycemic control to prevent CAM.
