NEW DELHI — Doctors in India are concerned about an increasing number of potentially fatal fungal infections affecting either people who have Covid-19 or those who have recently recovered from the disease.

The condition is relatively rare, but doctors and medical experts say it seems to be infecting some Covid patients whose weakened immune systems and underlying conditions, particularly diabetes, leave them vulnerable.

Some experts attribute the fungal infections to an increased use of steroids to treat hospitalized patients.

In the western state of Maharashtra, which includes the commercial hub of Mumbai and has been badly devastated by the pandemic, local news media reported that around 200 patients who had recovered from Covid were being treated for mucormycosis and that eight had died.

Srinath Reddy, who leads the Public Health Foundation of India, said a large number of the recent reported mucormycosis cases are of hospitalized coronavirus patients who have been discharged after their recovery.