Non-Neoformans Cryptococcal Infections in the Post-Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) Era: Are We Ready to Face the Emerging Challenge?

Abstract

Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses that infect animals as well as humans, while it is also suggested that, rarely, coronaviruses that infect animals can evolve and infect humans. Current evidence suggests that severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus-2 leads to coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19), the respiratory illness responsible for COVID-19 pandemic, while it has a zoonotic origin, closely related to the bat-origin SARS-like coronavirus. Also, as per the current knowledge, the disease may induce significant and persistent lymphopenia which in turn may increase the risk for various opportunistic infections. Cryptococcus laurentii is one such rare, but serious fungal infection which has been reported in post-COVID-19 disease and is a rising cause of concern since it can turn out to be fatal. The infection is caused by a non-neoformans rare human pathogen. The present case report describes the case of a 45-years old male patient who reported to the Outpatient Department (OPD) for a routine dental complaint with a grossly destructed tooth in left lower back tooth region due to extensive carious involvement, while, simultaneously, presenting with fever since 5 days in the post-COVID-19 phase, and was later diagnosed as being positive for C. laurentii infection on urine culture sensitivity test.