The life-changing surgery wasn’t necessitated by Covid-19 or even a bacterial infection; instead it was an aggressive “black fungus” that had taken hold in Mr Trivedi’s immunocompromised body.“Emerging from the shadows of the bacterial antimicrobial resistance pandemic, fungal infections are growing, and are ever more resistant to treatments, becoming a public health concern worldwide,” said Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO assistant director-general of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).Typically the fungi kill by infesting the airways and attacking the nervous system including the brain.“It’s an invisible illness that’s difficult to explain, difficult for people to understand.” Those at greatest risk of invasive fungal infections include people who have received an organ transplant, have cancer or HIV/Aids, or are suffering from chronic respiratory disease and post-primary tuberculosis infection.Before the pandemic, Dr Shailesh Kothalkar, who worked in Nagpur and treated Mr Trivedi, would see a handful of mucormycosis cases each year."