All you need to know about white and yellow fungus infections

Ever since COVID-19’s second wave hit India things have taken unpredictable turns leading to several complications in the ones who are actively infected and also the ones who have recovered from the virus.
In recent days, Mucormycosis (Black Fungus) has been the biggest scare. Several states have already declared it as an epidemic after a spike in the number of cases related to black fungus. After black fungus, two new varieties of fungus have appeared as complications in COVID-19 cases which are White Fungus and Yellow Fungus.
According to Dr. Vivek Pravin Dave, who is a Consultant Ophthalmologist and Retina Specialist at L.V. Prasad Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, “white fungus is rare and people should not panic. However, it is important to be watchful of the symptoms and to take timely treatment.” Dr. Dave explained that white fungus affects the retina in the eye and if left untreated, can lead to vision loss. Black shadow or floaters in front of the eye with variable degrees of vision loss are some of the symptoms. The eye can be mildly red with minimal pain and can occur either concurrent to the COVID-19 infection or in the early post-recovery phase. These symptoms can be seen within one to three months of COVID-19 recovery.
Patients with co-morbidities, poorly controlled diabetes, long-term steroids, and indwelling IV are the ones at more risk. Treatment for the eye involves intraocular surgery and intraocular injections. Unlike mucormycosis, the impact of the white fungus is largely known to be restricted within the eyeball and does not need any facial and sinus surgery.
The most common species of white fungus which causes infections is scientifically known as ‘Candida Albicans’. It is a type of yeast that naturally lives on the inside or the outside of one’s body. The outgrowth of this can lead to various health complications. While black fungus affects tissues around the eyes, white fungus mainly affects tissues inside the eye. Especially, the vitreous gel and the retina.