COVID-19 associated with pulmonary mucormycosis; a case series

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has evolved as a result of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2). With the rise of cases worldwide, plenty of potential COVID-19 complications have emerged, including increased susceptibility to subsequent bacterial and fungal infections. This study aims to report four cases of COVID-19 associated with pulmonary mucormycosis.

Method: This is a multi-center case series study. Diagnosis of COVID-19 was confirmed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.

Result: A total of 4 patients infected with SARS-CoV2 were involved in this study. The majority of the cases were female, aged >42 years old. All patients developed severe symptoms. All of the patients had received steroids, half of them had co-morbidities. The most common computerized tomography (CT) scan findings were pulmonary cavitation and empyema. All of the cases were treated with a combination of surgery and antifungal treatment.

Conclusion: As the number of COVID-19 cases rises, enhanced surveillance for co-infections with unusual pathogens should be continued. Clinicians should raise awareness of these deadly infections, which can further aggravate severe COVID-19.