Covid-19 advisory committee says wrapping of coffins with plastic not necessary

Picture: Reuters

Picture: Reuters

Published Jan 27, 2021

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Durban — The ministerial advisory committee (MAC) on Covid-19 has told Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize that government must abolish the practice of wrapping coffins of the Covid-19 dead.

The committee said unlike Ebola, Covid-19 cannot be transmitted from a corpse. It also stressed that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has clarified the difference between death from Ebola and Covid-19 and the burial requirement for each.

This was contained in an internal memo from the committee and sent to Mkhize on Monday this week.

The committee, which includes Professor Salim S Abdool Karim, said the practice contravenes certain cultural beliefs and rituals. It added that consequently, some graves have been dug up, the bodies illegally exhumed and the plastic coverings removed and the coffin reburied without approval and following guidelines.

Said the committee: “To date, there is no reported case of Sars.CoV-2 transmission from a dead body to a human. There is very little risk of infection being transmitted from a dead body to those carefully handling the corpse.

“The possibility of the virus escaping during pressure applied to the chest soon after death might expel live virus but this has not been proven.

“When dealing with a dead body, all handlers must ensure that IPC precautions are in place such as wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), which protects the body respiratory tract and mucous membranes from accidental splash contamination. Hand hygiene, good ventilation and a clean environment is essential,” the committee said.

Some reports indicate that some funeral parlours have been charging up to R7 500 to wrap a coffin with plastic as a measure to prevent Covid-19 transmission.

“The wrapping of bodies and coffins in plastic coverings prior to burial is unnecessary. Transmission at funerals occurs amongst the living due to overcrowding, lack of social distancing and wearing of masks, carrying out hand hygiene and good ventilation. WHO recommends the use of body bags to transfer the corpse from the hospital bed to the mortuary or funeral parlour for preparation.

“This is to avoid exposure to body fluids. If there are no signs of fluid leak, a shroud is acceptable. All those handling the body, whether HCW or family, must abide by the rules of carefully handling the body, hand hygiene, wearing appropriate PPE, and cleaning/ disinfection after the process is completed,” the committee wrote.

Mkhize’s spokesperson, Lwazi Manzi, had not responded by the time this report was compiled. The story will be updated with her comment.

Political Bureau

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