Delhi: New virus, Cytomegalovirus, found in Covid patients

New Delhi, Delhi, India

As the world prepares itself against the new and emerging Delta Plus strain of the coronavirus, India has reported a new type of virus in people who have already suffered COVID-19.

Delhi’s Ganga Ram Hospital has reported five cases of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) in Covid patients, the hospital reported in a written statement.

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"This is the first report from India of five cases of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) related rectal bleeding in Covid immunocompetent patients," Ganga Ram Hospital’s statement read.

The new type of virus enters the body when the human body is immune after the deadly coronavirus and the medications used to protect the body from COVID-19. The steroids used in the treatment of coronavirus suppress the immunity of patients and make the human body vulnerable to uncommon infections.

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"One such opportunistic infection is CMV virus. Cytomegalo virus exists in 80 to 90 per cent of the Indian asymptomatic. Clinical presentation with symptoms secondary to CMV is usually seen in patients whose immunity is compromised," the statement read.

As of now, all cases have been found in Delhi-NCR. Of total of five, four patients had gastrointestinal bleed, i.e. bleeding in stool, and the fifth patient had intestinal obstruction. "Two of them had massive bleed, one requiring emergency lifesaving surgery in the form of removal of right side of the colon and one of them has succumbed due to massive bleeding and severe Covid chest disease," the statement added.

Three patients were treated with antiviral therapy of ganciclovir, Anil Arora, professor of Ganga Ram Hospital said.