COVID-19 and the alarming rise of "black fungus" (mucormycosis) infection.

COVID-19 which first raised its deadly head in December 2019, has now engulfed the entire planet with its fire and fury. Mankind has been literally held to ransom by this micro-beast which has caused so much pain, sorrow and suffering, leaving behind scores of people dead and millions sick and gasping for air (quite literally!) The whole world is in disarray since the past 16 months, and now a new deadly superadded fungal infection has appeared in COVID-19 patients, in parts of the Indian subcontinent; namely mucormycosis, the deadly "black fungus." This persistent, unrelenting fungal infection which is relatively resistant to conventional anti-fungal treatment, sometimes requires radical, extensive surgical intervention in order to stem the spread of infection to vital organs such as the heart, brain, orbital spaces and spleen.

Omicron: the highly mutational COVID-19 variant with immune escape.

In the latter-half of 2021, as people all over the world began optimistically thinking that reopening was just a heartbeat away, providence meant otherwise, and the world was once again hit by a COVID-19 variant; this time with a record number of 32 mutations across its spike proteins and significantly increased transmissibility, infectiousness and immune escape. The WHO subsequently named this variant the "Omicron variant," after yet another new Greek alphabet. Subsequently, it has been observed that the reinfection (evasion of immunity derived from prior infection) risk from the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is substantially higher than from the previously identified beta and delta variants.

Increasing incidence of lung transplantation in patients with post-COVID-19 pulmonary fibrosis.

Twenty months into the COVID-19 pandemic, we are still learning about the various long-term consequences of COVID-19 infection. While many patients do recover with minimal long-term consequences, some patients develop irreversible parenchymal and interstitial lung damage leading to diffuse pulmonary fibrosis. Unfortunately, these are some of the consequences of post-SARS-CoV-2 infection which thousands more people around the world will experience and which will outlast the pandemic for a long time to come.

Recurrent haemoptysis.

A man, 56 years of age, presents to his general practitioner after coughing up half a cupful of fresh, bright red blood every day for 1 week. He has no other medical complaints. He reports previous pulmonary tuberculosis 12 years ago treated with 6 months of standard therapy.

A tile factory worker presenting with breathlessness and dry cough.

Jenny, a nonsmoker, 54 years of age, presents with 3 years of dry cough, progressive breathlessness and reducing exercise tolerance. Two years ago she was diagnosed with asthma and treated with inhaled bronchodilators (which have been marginally effective). Jenny has worked in a tile factory for 22 years; 15 years in the grinding department, transferring to the chipping department 7 years ago.