The virus that causes covid-19 is found in corpses up to 17 days after death, and can transmit the disease: an important warning for health professionals
Several studies around the world are pointing out that the corpses of patients who died of covid-19 they continue to spread the virus for more than two weeks after death. While not a major contagion factor, there is a danger to medical examiners, pathologists, and healthcare professionals dealing with bodies in general.
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In some countries, those who die from SARS-CoV-2 infection are either left unattended or taken home, leading scientists to alert the public to information about bodies. In studies, cadavers have been observed to remain infectious for up to 17 days after death, carry large amounts of virus, and in captive hamsters, the dead have been seen to transmit the disease to the living.
discover infections
There is no peer-reviewed publication of the research compiling the findings, but industry experts ensure that the findings are true, promising, and important. In places like Brazil and the United States, patient bodies from COVID-19 they are embalmed or cremated shortly after death and families they no longer have access to the deceasedwhich prevents infections. In the Netherlands and other countries, however, family members usually wash and dress the corpses, which proves dangerous in such cases.
In Japan, for example, the government in 2020 warned families to stay away from the dead, avoiding touching or even seeing them. It was recommended that the bodies be sealed in waterproof bags and the remains cremated within 24 hours. In May of this year, the recommendations were revised to allow visits, but in controlled and sterilized environments in hospital rooms.
Analyzing samples taken from the noses and lungs of 11 patients who died from covid-19, the researchers found an elevated viral load in 6 of those who died, up to 13 days after their deaths. Levels were similar to those in living clinical patients. In studies with hamsters, dead-to-live transmission was observed, especially when the animal died shortly after infection, which was observed in humans.
In corpses, more viruses in the lungs that in the upper respiratory tract, which urges care by medical and forensic professionals during autopsies. The bodies pick up the gases and expel them through all orifices, including the mouth, which can lead to transmission.
More dramatic cases of transmission from the dead occurred during the Ebola outbreaks in Africa, as the disease spreads viruses through bodily fluids and throughout its body. The disease kills up to 70% of infected people, which is different with covid-19, where 3% of diagnosed people die. Even so, the example is clear.
Scientists, moreover, remind you that it is much more likely to catch SARS-CoV-2 from a neighbor or a person close to you, but they do not fail to warn you to be careful with the bodies of your loved ones. Saying goodbye is important, but it shouldn’t put the living at risk.
Source: Center for Disease Control and Prevention🇧🇷 PubMed 1🇧🇷 Two🇧🇷 3🇧🇷 MedRxiv🇧🇷 BioRxiv🇧🇷
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Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
