A Pulmonologist Perspective in Post-COVID-19 Fungal Lung Infection: Data from Tertiary Institute

Invasive fungal disease (IFD) is a serious complication of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), with a high mortality rate.This study aimed to determine the incidence, risk factors, and impact of IFD in adult moderate to severe COVID-19 patients.A retrospective study was conducted of 44 patients with a recent history of moderate to severe COVID-19 pneumonia and radiological evidence of cavitary lung disease.Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) galactomannan, fungal smear and culture, and histopathological examination of transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) were performed.The mean age of the patients was 59.68 years.The most common comorbidity was diabetes (45.4%).Bronchoalveolar lavage galactomannan was positive in 45.4% of patients.The most common imaging finding was cavitating consolidation.Total of 12 patients (27.27%) died during the follow-up period.The study found that BAL galactomannan can be a useful diagnostic tool for IFD in post-COVID-19 patients.Cavitating consolidation is a common imaging finding in patients with IFD.Patients with cavitating consolidation who have been recently discharged from the hospital with COVID-19 should be considered for empirical antifungal therapy.This study provides important insights into the diagnosis and management of IFD in post-COVID-19 patients.These findings can help clinicians to identify and treat patients with these infections more effectively.