You and Me: Another opportunist - Cytomegalovirusin serious Covid cases.

Dr Mangala Borkar

We witnessed the sad news recently that a young, renowned person died due to cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection that developed almost three weeks after Covid was diagnosed. There are germs all around us and even in our body, that are apparently innocent, as long as we are healthy. Serious cases of Corona need life-saving steroids. They also receive medicines like Tocilizumab (that have not really shown to be life-savers but may be helpful). These drugs lower the patient’s immunity drastically and he can fall prey to the otherwise harmless germs that now turn into opportunistic predators.

We are seeing the havoc being caused by the Mucormycoses ‘black’ fungus. CMV, Clostridium dificile are other such opportunistic germs that we have to be aware of and pick up at the earliest, in serious cases of corona.

One difference of CMV from Mucor is that the ‘black’ fungus enters the patient through his nose, maybe via contaminated tubes or water in humidifier bottles. CMV is usually already present in the patient’s body in a dormant form. We need not panic, but need to be alert, because every day, the Coronavirus teaches us something new!

Dr Kishor Pargaonkar

Consultant in Medicine and Cardiology.

·Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a commonly occurring virus that can spread from person to person through secretions like saliva, urine, breast milk etc.

·It is usually asymptomatic in healthy persons or may cause mild viral like illness. Unless tested, the person will not even know that he is infected.

·In a recent infection, IgM antibodies to CMV will be raised. In an earlier, past infection, IgG antibodies will be higher.

·If the person’s immunity drops, the virus that was lying latent for years in the body can flare up and damage the retina, kidneys, lungs, liver or brain.

·Gancyclovir/Valgancyclovir are effective drugs in management.

Dr Anil Gaikwad,

Associate Professor, Microbiology, GMC, Aurangabad.

·CMV belongs to the Herpes group of viruses.

·A common virus that can infect by body secretions and stays quietly in the healthy individual’s salivary glands, kidneys-even life-long, without any symptoms.

·If immunity falls, as in a serious Covid patient, who may have received steroids and tocilizumab, the virus awakes and harms the body.

·It can be diagnosed by Elisa or PCR of blood.

·The cells that are infected become large in size.

(The writer is Professor of Geriatrics, GMC, Aurangabad).