Guidelines for Cremation/Burial of COVID19 - Need of the Hour

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. People in extremes of age and those having pre-existing disease are more prone to the infection. Transmission is by droplet/contact route or by airborne transmission in special circumstances i.e endotracheal intubation, bronchoscopy, tracheostomy, cardiopulmonary resuscitation etc.

Not only the treatment of living infected subjects, handling of COVID-19 dead bodies is also having utmost importance to prevent the transmission of deadly virus to the body handlers (hospital staff/cremation staff/family members) in the hospital or at the cremation/burial site. Here in this review paper, we have discussed about the pros and cons of the cremation and burial of the body keeping in mind that no further spread of the virus could occur to the community. However for eg China and Sri Lankan authorities made cremation compulsory by official order while WHO, India and many other did not objected to either of them. In our opinion, cremation should be preferred for complete elimination of chances of infection. However keeping in mind the religious views of the family, if the burial of the body is requested, then it should be assured that the body is buried in a thick, air tight coffin and placed at normal depth of about 2 meter. It is recommended that the area above and adjacent to the grave should be cemented immediately as an additional precautionary to avoid scavenging by animal.