Potential application of probiotics in attenuating the link between COVID-19 and mucormycosis

COVID-19 has caused a significant amount of mortality and morbidity worldwide. It has paved the way for a plethora of complications including increase in the incidence of some previously rare diseases. Mucormycosis is one such opportunistic infection that has gained prominence in certain developing countries, especially India, during the pandemic. It is a life-threatening condition that requires to be managed promptly. Rampant use of steroids, immunomodulators, and antibiotics for the treatment of COVID-19 has led to hyperglycemia such as state, immunosuppression, and gut dysbiosis. All these conditions in addition to the local tissue damage mediated by the severe cytokine storm in the later stages of the disease are the key culprits for this upsurge. There is evidence promoting the potential use of probiotics for the prevention as well as the treatment of COVID-19. They boost and regulate the native immunity of the individual, simultaneously reducing the dependence on steroids and other immunomodulators. This can help prevent the development of opportunistic infections such as mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients. This article correlates the beneficial effects of probiotics in improving the individual's immune status to halt the probable mechanism by which mucormycosis can develop in individuals with COVID-19