Opportunistic double-stranded DNA virus ‘CMV’ takes upper hand in COVID-19 recovered patients
First Published: 2nd July, 2021 20:09 IST
Five cases of another opportunistic virus Cytomegalovirus also known as CMV have been reported, with rectal bleeding in COVID-19 immunocompetent patients for the first time in post-COVID recovered patients. Sir
Five cases of another opportunistic virus Cytomegalovirus also known as CMV have been reported, with rectal bleeding in COVID-19 immunocompetent patients for the first time in post-COVID recovered patients.
Sir Gangaram Hospital has reported five patients with CMV and rectal bleeding so far. As per the hospital authorities, the five patients were presented with a mean of 20 to 30 days after the diagnosis of COVID-19 and none of them had other predisposing immunosuppressed states accounting for this viral infection.
It is a double-stranded DNA virus that has a tendency to remain in a latent form in the body in 80 to 90 per cent population.
Professor Anil Arora, Chairman, Institute of Liver Gastroenterology-Ganga Ram Hospital, told ANI, “It remains in complete harmony with the body’s defences but whenever for different reasons either because of the superimposed diseases like COVID-19 or because of the required therapy like immunosuppressive drugs like steroids that tend to decrease the immune system of the body, the dormant inactive takes a preposterous state and tries to damage the affected area of the body.”
Symptoms of CMV depend on which part of the body it is affecting. If it has direct involvement of lungs, patient will have a fever, difficulty in breathing, chest pain or cough. Our patients had abdominal pain loose motions and breathing from the rectum. It can involve multitude of organs of the body such as kidney or brain with specific symptoms, said the chairman.
The expert stated that it is a double whammy of immunosuppressive as well as the virus itself that causes suppression of the immunity. Possibly all these have led to resurgence of this opportunistic infection.
Most recommended steroids, Tocilizimab especially who are having dip in the oxygen or disease and plenty of them require hospitalization, said Dr Arora.
“It is a misuse of steroids in presence of a pandemic which possibly resulted in this type of opportunistic infection taking an upper hand,” Dr Arora said.
Out of five suffering from CMV, one died, another had to go for an operation and the rest three were cured via medicine.
In such cases, a high index of suspicion and timely intervention in the form of an early diagnosis and effective antiviral therapy can save many precious lives. (ANI)
COMMENTS
TOPMOST STORY NOW
Live It’s important for BJP-UPPL coalition to be in power in BTR for its development, peace and progress: Assam CM
28th April 2024Live Top IPL 2024 performers likely to be selected for T20 World Cup
28th April 2024Live Nagaland: ULB polls to be held on June 26 after 2 decades
28th April 2024Live Archery World Cup 2024: Sikkim’s Tarundeep Rai among India’s gold medal winning archery team, CM Tamang congratulates TARUNDEEP
28th April 2024WE RECOMMEND
“Congress involved in dangerous game of vote bank appeasement”: PM Modi
PM Modi said that the Congress neglected the fishermen of the country and it was his government that made a separate ministry to secure their interests.
28th April 2024Himachal Pradesh: 60 roads blocked due to snowfall; IMD issues orange alert
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for several parts of Himachal Pradesh, warning of snowfall and rain.
28th April 2024Students write ‘Jai Shri Ram pass ho jaayein’, scores 56%
The incident occurred at Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University, a state university in UP's Jaunpur.
27th April 2024Congress lodges police complaint against ‘fake video’ of Rahul Gandhi circulated on social media
The party stated that the video aims to "destroy" the religious harmony of the country and portray the party in a negative light. The party also attacked a copy of the video along with the complaint.
27th April 2024‘Spiderman’ lands in Delhi police net
After a video of the duo's stunts in Dwarka on a bike without a number plate went viral on social media, Delhi Police apprehended them and booked them under the Motor Vehicle Act for various offenses including dangerous driving and riding without helmets among others.
26th April 2024