New Delhi, June 30: Two people suffering from cytomegalovirus infection following recovery from COVID-19 have been admitted to a leading private hospital in Delhi during the second wave of the pandemic, hospital authorities said on Wednesday.

Both the patients were admitted to Fortis Hospital in Vasant Kunj last week and are currently in ICU. Earlier, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital had reported five such cases. One of the patients at Fortis is a 78-year-man who has a history of lung disease, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, said Dr Nikhil Bante, Consultant, Pulmonology, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Fortis Hospital.

He contracted Covid in April this year and 15-20 days after testing negative and being discharged, he returned to the hospital with fever, diarrhoea and shortness of breath, the doctor said. "He was diagnosed with cytomegalovirus infection and aspergillosis, a fungal infection," the senior doctor said.

The second patient is a 58-year-old man who is diabetic. He tested positive for the coronavirus in early May and was admitted to another hospital. He was brought to this facility later with severe abdominal pain, the senior doctor said.

"This is the first time we are seeing such cases. We didn't see such cases during the first wave. In these two patients we could not find any other cause for the infection apart from the fact that they had COVID-19 and were immunocompromised," he said.

The doctor felt that the infection could have been triggered due to steroid use.

"I feel that it could have been due to steroid use during the coronavirus treatment but it needs to be studied. Even in the first wave steroids were given (to patients) but we didn't see such cases. During the second wave, we are seeing such instances since steroids are being administered for a longer period due to the severity of infection," he added.

Five COVID-19 patients had suffered cytomegalovirus-related rectal bleeding at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here during the second wave of the pandemic. One of them died due to massive bleeding and severe Covid chest infection.

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