Fungal infections turn out to be more deadly when COVID-19 is involved, in line with research.

A recent study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has uncovered alarming mortality rates amongst patients hospitalized for COVID-associated fungal infections. The information showed a big disparity in comparison to fungal infections unrelated to the virus through the pandemic era.

The study, led by Dr. Jeremy Gold and his team on the CDC in Atlanta, make clear the severity of the difficulty.

Between 2020 and 2021, the mortality rate for in-hospital COVID-associated fungal infections stood at a staggering 48.5%. In contrast, the mortality rate for non-COVID-associated fungal infections was 12.3%.

The researchers highlighted specific fungal infections linked to COVID-19 that exhibited the best mortality rates, including aspergillosis (57.6%), invasive candidiasis (55.4%), mucormycosis (44.7%) and unspecified mycoses (59.0%).

These findings aligned with previously reported data, which also indicated higher COVID-associated deaths involving Candida and Aspergillus, in line with MedPage Today.

Dr. Gold and his colleagues emphasized the importance of maintaining a high level of clinical suspicion for fungal infections in high-risk patients, particularly those with COVID-19. The study underscored the necessity for enhanced surveillance of fungal diseases to detect emerging trends and guide appropriate interventions.

The study analyzed a complete of 59,212 fungal infection hospitalizations spanning from 2019 to 2021. Rates per 10,000 hospitalizations showed a rise from 22.3 in 2019 to 25.0 in 2020 and further to 26.8 in 2021. The typical annual percentage change within the rates was calculated to be 8.5%.

From 2020 to 2021, 13.4% of the 39,423 fungal hospitalizations were related to COVID. The rates of COVID-associated fungal hospitalizations per 10,000 COVID hospitalizations rose by 24.9%.

The hospitalizations resulted in longer stays, with a median duration of 21 days in comparison with 9 days for non-COVID-associated fungal infections. They were also more prone to involve intensive care and patients with COVID-associated fungal infections had the next likelihood of requiring invasive mechanical ventilation.

Moreover, the study revealed demographic disparities, with COVID-associated fungal infections being more prevalent in men and Hispanic/Latino individuals. The infections were also more prone to occur in western states.

The researchers noted that racial or ethnic disparities may very well be linked to long-standing inequities in social health determinants, limited access to medical care, occupational exposures, and better prevalence of underlying conditions equivalent to diabetes, which increase the chance of fungal and COVID-19 infections amongst certain minority groups.

The study authors also acknowledged the potential role of immune system therapies within the observed trends. COVID-19 infection was identified as a big risk factor for certain fungal infections, particularly those brought on by invasive molds. This association was likely as a result of COVID-19-related immune system dysregulation and the usage of immunosuppressive therapies like corticosteroids or other immunomodulatory medications.

The researchers utilized the Premier Healthcare Database, Special COVID-19 Release, a comprehensive hospital-based, all-payer database employed by the CDC for COVID response activities. Hospitalizations involving fungal infections and COVID were identified between January 2019 and December 2021. The median age of patients hospitalized for COVID-associated fungal infections was 63, in comparison with 61 for those with non-COVID-associated fungal infections.

The authors acknowledged some limitations, including potential underreporting, misclassification, and nonspecific coding of pathogenic fungi as a result of fungal diagnosis codes. Moreover, they highlighted the shortage of comprehensive data on fungal infections through the pandemic in the USA, as many fungal diseases aren’t currently reportable.

Published by Medicaldaily.com