Oman confirms three cases of feared black fungus disease amid surge in Covid-19

Oman has registered three cases of the newly spread "black fungus" disease, according to the country's health ministry.

The ministry said the cases were "currently under treatment" on Twitter, later sharing information about the disease and its causes.

The severe infection began in India amid a surge in the coronavirus. It has now spread to a number of countries, including Egypt and Iraq.

Black fungus, or its scientific name mucormycosis, is a complication caused by a group of moulds called mucormycetes, that typically live in soil and decaying organic matter.

حقائق عن الفطر الأسود وكيفية حدوث الإصابة والعدوى. pic.twitter.com/unfvTF8uum

— مجلس الصحة الخليجي (@GHC_GCC) May 23, 2021

Immune systems are often compromised or weakened after battling coronavirus, which means they may have a higher chance of developing mucormycosis.

Covid-19 infections are surging in Oman, where health officials warned on Monday that hospitals now face an acute shortage of beds amid a lagging vaccine rollout, the spread of highly transmissible variants, and relaxed movement restrictions.

The influx of severe infections has forced overwhelmed hospitals nationwide to turn away patients, local media reported.

The main Covid-19 field hospital in Muscat surpassed 90 percent occupancy and its intensive care beds are now completely full, said the state-run Omani News Agency. Many smaller hospitals across the country also said they were operating beyond capacity.

The health ministry recorded 2,126 new cases and 33 deaths on Tuesday.