Disseminated cryptococcosis in a patient with COVID-19

Here, we report a case of a 59-year-old patient with a 2-day history of moderate intensity (7/10) holocranial headache, unquantified febrile peaks, grade III dyspnea, adynamia, hyporexia, ageusia and nonproductive cough admitted to the emergency department. He referred close contact to a sister with confirmed COVID-19. His COVID-19 antigen test results were positive. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) associated with Cryptococcus neoformans infection was confirmed. The use of systemic corticosteroid therapy leads to immunocompromise and predisposes the patient to common and opportunistic infections such as Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gatiii infection. In this case COVID-19 infection and the development of SARS-CoV-2 was the etiology of the Cryptococcus fungal infection.