Highlights
- Guidelines say, COVID-19 dead bodies need to be handled with precautions
- Corpses do not pose any additional risk of COVID-19: Health Ministry
- Bathing, kissing, hugging of the dead body should not be allowed
New Delhi: Since the lockdown has begun, there have been several incidences of families not willing to accept bodies of coronavirus patients fearing contamination, cemeteries denying burials and people attacking vehicles carrying dead bodies and protesting against last rites. A few days ago, friends and family of Dr. Simon Hercules, a 55-year-old Chennai based doctor who died due to COVID-19, were attacked by a mob when they took his body to a burial ground because of which one of his friends had to quietly bury him late at the night without any family members present. “Such incidences happen because of the misinformation around standard operating procedures towards the handling of dead bodies and lack of awareness about COVID-19”, said Dr. Ramana Dhara, Professor at Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH), Hyderabad.
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Dr. Dhara further said,
Unlike haemorrhagic fevers like Ebola, Marburg, and diarrheal diseases like cholera, dead bodies resulting from respiratory illnesses like COVID-19 generally are not known to be infectious.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), as of May 7, there have been 1,783 deaths in the country due to COVID-19 with maximum deaths in Maharashtra (651) followed by Gujarat (396). MoHFW has clarified that since the transmission of COVID-19 happens through droplets, there is unlikely to be an increased risk of COVID infection from a dead body to health workers or family members who follow standard precautions while handling body. Only the lungs of dead COVID-19 patients, if handled during an autopsy, can be infectious.
Even after the Health Ministry’s statement on dead bodies not posing risks, on March 30, Maharashtra Civic Body, Brihanmumbai Corporation (BMC) notified a circular that said that all bodies of COVID-19 victims shall be cremated at the nearest crematorium irrespective of their religion. However, the circular was hurriedly withdrawn soon after Cabinet Minister in Maharashtra Government Nawab Malik intervened. BMC then issued a revised order which is currently in force which permits burials. On being asked about the previous circular, a senior official of BMC said to NDTV,
There were concerns regarding the risk of infections that may have led to issuing of the earlier circular stating that only cremation was allowed for all bodies. This has been withdrawn, and now as per the central government’s guidelines, in Maharashtra also, bodies can be cremated or buried as per their tradition and religious beliefs.
With an aim to address concerns and confusions regarding the handling of the bodies of deceased patients, MoHFW had issued COVID-19 dead body management guidelines on March 15.
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Health Ministry’s Guidelines On The Management Of Dead Bodies Of COVID-19 Patients
According to the COVID-19 dead body management guidelines of MoHFW, here are some standard precautions to be followed once a COVID-19 patient dies:
– While removing the body from the isolation room, the health worker must perform hand hygiene, ensure proper use of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) like a water-resistant apron, goggles, N95 mask, and gloves.
– All tubes and drains on the dead body should be removed. Any puncture holes or wounds (resulting from the removal of drains, tubes, or otherwise) should be disinfected and dressed with impermeable material. Plug oral, nasal orifices of the dead body to prevent leakage of body fluids. Place the dead body in a leak-proof plastic body bag. The body bag can be wrapped with a mortuary sheet or sheet provided by the family members.
– If the family of the patient wishes to view the body at the time of removal from the isolation room or area, they may be allowed to do so with precautions. The body will be either handed over to the relatives or taken to a mortuary.
– Embalming of the dead body should not be allowed
– Bathing, kissing and hugging of the dead body should not be allowed
– Autopsies on COVID-19 dead bodies should be avoided. If an autopsy is to be performed, the executing team should take maximum precautions and cover themselves using PPEs.
– Transportation of the body should be done in a body bag, the exterior of which poses no risk to the transporting staff if decontaminated properly. The vehicle, after the transfer of the body to cremation/ burial staff, should be decontaminated with a disinfectant containing 1 per cent Sodium Hypochlorite.
– At the crematorium/ burial ground, the present staff should practice the standard precautions of hand hygiene and use of masks and gloves. Viewing of the dead body by unzipping the face end of the body bag (by the staff using precautions) may be allowed, for the relatives to see the body for one last time.
– The ash does not pose any risk and can be collected to perform the last rites
– Large gathering at the crematorium/ burial ground should be avoided as a social distancing measure
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What does WHO Recommends?
Most of the measures recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) are similar to those outlined by the Health Ministry. Additionally, WHO has suggested the following with respect to the last rites of deceased patients:
– Children, senior citizens and anyone with underlying illnesses (such as respiratory illness, heart disease, diabetes, and other such conditions) should not directly interact with the body.
– People with respiratory symptoms should not participate in funerals or at least wear a medical mask to prevent transmission to others.
– Although burials should take place in a timely manner, in accordance with local practices, funeral ceremonies not involving the burial should be postponed, as much as possible, until the end of the epidemic.
– The belongings of the deceased person do not need to be burned or otherwise disposed of. However, they should be handled with gloves and cleaned.
According to Dr Sudhir K Gupta, Professor and Head, Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), in order to ensure safety, bodies should be cremated in electric or gas crematoriums, keeping the body in the body bag and if burial is to be done, the body should be placed in a thick, air-tight coffin at a depth of four to six meters in the ground. The area of the grave should be cemented immediately and precautions should be followed afterwards to avoid scavenging by animals.
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Social Workers Coming Forward To Give The Dead A Dignified Send-Off
During the current coronavirus crisis when social distancing norms and misinformation regarding COVID-19 and dead bodies is keeping relatives away from the last rites, of their loved ones, a social worker from Fatehpur in Uttar Pradesh has come forward to give the dead a dignified send-off. Ashok Tapaswai, a 42-year-old businessman started a ‘Tapaswi Seva Rath’ service in January this year in the memory of his parents by converting a truck into a hearse. Just a phone call away, the ‘Rath’ carries dead bodies from hospitals, homes and accident sites to the cremation ground and since the beginning of lockdown, the service has been extended to COVID-19 patients also, free of cost. Mr. Tapaswi told NDTV,
Fatehpur currently has no case of COVID-19 and is in the green zone. However, due to social distancing norms and lockdown, people are unable to perform last rites of their deceased loved ones especially if someone is out of the city. So they call me and I along with some volunteers lend shoulders to the bier and perform cremations and burials on behalf of the relatives. After the nationwide lockdown against coronavirus, the calls for the ‘rath’ have increased. Earlier, I used to get a maximum of 10 calls a day, but now I receive around 20 calls per day.
Mr. Tapaswai tries to help most of the callers and in planning to acquire more ‘raths’ to expand the service due to the increasing demand.
In Mumbai, Mahim Kabrastan Trust has offered to provide burial of COVID-19 victims free of cost at their cemetery. According to an official of the Trust, Mahim cemetery is one of the cemeteries mandated by BMC to bury community members who die due to the coronavirus infection. He said that serving in the times of distress is very important which is why the trust has decided to waive off burial expenses. He further said,
Burial is being done as per the standard operating procedures to ensure zero-risk. Special coffins are being arranged and the place is sanitised before and after the burial.
Also Read: Coronavirus Lockdown 3.0 Explained: What Are Red, Orange, Green And Containment Zones?
World
India
State & District Details
State | Cases | Active | Recovered | Deaths |
---|---|---|---|---|
DistrictCases Mumbai45,478 Thane13,660 Pune9,920 Mumbai Suburban5,363 Aurangabad1,974 Nashik1,575 Raigad1,462 Palghar1,421 Solapur1,291 Jalgaon1,039 Akola757 Nagpur692 Kolhapur646 Satara629 Ratnagiri350 Amravati291 Dhule228 Hingoli208 Jalna201 Ahmednagar190 Nanded176 Yavatmal150 Sangli145 Latur139 Osmanabad125 Sindhudurg114 Buldhana88 Parbhani78 gondia69 Beed54 Nandurbar42 Gadchiroli42 Bhandara41 Chandrapur32 Washim13 Wardha11 | 21,38,154 8,333 | 68,810 3,349 | 20,17,303 4,936 | 52,041 48 |
DistrictCases Kannur357 Kasaragod333 Palakkad224 Malappuram119 Kollam118 Thrissur106 Thiruvananthapuram104 Pathanamthitta98 Kozhikode90 Alappuzha76 Kottayam73 Ernakulam60 Idukki40 Wayanad36 | 10,52,357 3,671 | 51,679 485 | 9,96,514 4,142 | 4,164 14 |
DistrictCases Udupi1,176 Kalaburagi669 Yadgir538 Bengaluru Urban529 Raichur369 Mandya346 Belagavi337 Bidar219 Hassan205 Davangere204 Vijayapura201 Dakshina Kannada179 Chikkaballapura149 Mysuru107 Bagalkote103 Uttara Kannada95 Shivamogga67 Dharwad61 Ballari60 Gadag45 Bengaluru Rural40 Tumakuru36 Kolar29 Haveri24 Chikkamagaluru19 Chitradurga14 Koppal5 Kodagu4 Ramanagara3 Chamarajanagara0 | 9,50,207 571 | 5,520 75 | 9,32,367 642 | 12,320 4 |
DistrictCases Kurnool795 Krishna557 Guntur511 Anantapur428 East Godavari356 Chittoor319 Sri Potti Sriramulu Nell*296 Y.S.R.205 West Godavari199 Srikakulam183 Prakasam104 Visakhapatnam103 Vizianagaram23 | 8,89,681 96 | 635 24 | 8,81,877 71 | 7,169 1 |
DistrictCases Chennai23,324 Chengalpattu1,314 Thiruvallur774 Villupuram509 Kanchipuram503 Tiruvannamalai496 Cuddalore477 Ariyalur444 Tirunelveli433 Tuticorin333 Kallakurichi324 Madurai322 Salem258 Coimbatore188 Virudhunagar185 Dindigul175 Perambalur133 Ranipet133 Thanjavur130 Theni129 Tiruchirappalli119 Ramanathapuram119 Tiruppur116 Kanniyakumari110 Tenkasi103 Nagapattinam99 Karur88 Namakkal83 Erode75 Vellore71 Thiruvarur67 Pudukkottai53 Sivaganga46 Tirupathur45 Krishnagiri43 The Nilgiris17 Dharmapuri15 | 8,50,577 481 | 4,046 7 | 8,34,043 483 | 12,488 5 |
DistrictCases North West5,463 Central4,817 West4,768 New Delhi3,405 North3,059 East2,472 South East2,446 South West2,391 South2,329 North East1,914 Shahdara1,580 | 6,38,849 256 | 1,231 62 | 6,26,712 193 | 10,906 1 |
DistrictCases Gautam Buddha Nagar1,119 Agra933 Ghaziabad794 Meerut504 Lucknow386 Saharanpur298 Kanpur Nagar286 Moradabad252 Varanasi243 Hapur225 Aligarh215 Basti214 Amethi206 Rampur203 Jaunpur194 Firozabad190 Barabanki168 Gorakhpur166 Bulandshahr166 Siddharth Nagar159 Ghazipur159 Bijnor157 Deoria143 Azamgarh138 Sant Kabeer Nagar132 Mathura129 Ayodhya120 Muzaffarnagar117 Sambhal116 Sultanpur97 Ambedkar Nagar92 Maharajganj85 Amroha80 Rae Bareli78 Bahraich73 Kheri72 Kannauj69 Baghpat68 Kushi Nagar67 Bhadohi60 Ballia60 Gonda59 Etah52 Hardoi49 Balrampur49 Mau48 Mainpuri46 Etawah46 Hathras43 Unnao42 Jalaun41 Jhansi41 Shamli40 Chandauli38 Auraiya37 Farrukhabad36 Sitapur32 Prayagraj30 Banda27 Shahjahanpur25 Shravasti23 Budaun23 Mirzapur22 Bareilly17 Kasganj16 Pratapgarh15 Pilibhit15 Sonbhadra10 Kaushambi6 Kanpur Dehat4 Chitrakoot4 Lalitpur3 Hamirpur3 Mahoba3 Fatehpur3 | 6,03,350 118 | 2,184 2 | 5,92,441 114 | 8,725 2 |
DistrictCases Kolkata2,777 Howrah1,435 24 Paraganas North1,031 Hooghly604 24 Paraganas South281 Maldah235 Dinajpur Uttar216 Coochbehar210 Birbhum206 Medinipur West159 Medinipur East153 Nadia139 Purba Bardhaman130 Murshidabad125 Bankura116 Darjeeling97 Jalpaiguri88 Paschim Bardhaman70 Purulia66 Dinajpur Dakshin50 Alipurduar39 Kalimpong18 Jhargram9 | 5,74,716 216 | 3,343 10 | 5,61,110 223 | 10,263 3 |
DistrictCases Ganjam581 Jajapur322 Khordha238 Baleshwar190 Kendrapara164 Cuttack155 Bhadrak137 Balangir129 Puri103 Sundargarh102 Jagatsinghapur91 Nayagarh86 Mayurbhanj73 Nuapada69 Gajapati61 Dhenkanal36 Boudh34 Kendujhar34 Deogarh33 Kalahandi33 Sonepur29 Kandhamal28 Anugul26 Malkangiri20 Bargarh16 Koraput16 Sambalpur16 Jharsuguda8 Nabarangpur2 Rayagada2 | 3,37,018 94 | 640 31 | 3,34,463 63 | 1,915 |
DistrictCases Jaipur2,177 Jodhpur1,748 Udaipur724 Bharatpur563 Kota503 Nagaur500 Ajmer379 Dungarpur374 Pali352 Jhalawar329 Bhilwara250 Sikar231 Chittorgarh188 Tonk171 Jalore164 Rajsamand140 Sirohi130 Bikaner112 Banswara91 Alwar90 Churu81 Jhunjhunu64 Dausa61 Dholpur60 Baran59 Jaisalmer53 Barmer34 Hanumangarh31 SawaiMadhopur26 Karauli17 Pratapgarh14 Ganganagar8 Bundi5 | 3,20,078 149 | 1,231 23 | 3,16,061 125 | 2,786 1 |
DistrictCases Bilaspur100 Korba100 Mungeli87 Baloda Bazar85 Jashpur77 Janjgir-Champa56 Mahasamund54 Rajnandgaon52 Kabirdham52 Raigarh47 Raipur46 Balod41 Korea39 Durg31 Bemetara21 Kanker19 Balrampur17 Surguja14 Gariyaband10 Surajpur9 Dhamtari6 Bijapur2 Bastar2 Dantewada0 Kondagaon0 Narayanpur0 Sukma0 | 3,12,179 279 | 2,827 38 | 3,05,524 310 | 3,828 7 |
DistrictCases Hyderabad2,475 Ranga Reddy183 Suryapet87 Jagitial77 Nizamabad76 MedchalMalkajgiri75 Mancherial43 YadadriBhuvanagiri40 Jogulamba Gadwal40 Vikarabad40 Nalgonda33 Warangal Urban32 Mahabubnagar30 Sangareddy26 Khammam26 Adilabad22 Nirmal21 Karimnagar17 RajannaSircilla16 Medak11 Kamareddy11 Mahabubabad10 Jayashankar Bhupalapally9 Nagarkurnool8 Kumuram Bheem Asifabad8 Jangoan8 Siddipet7 Peddapalli5 Bhadradri Kothagudem5 Warangal Rural4 Mulugu3 Narayanpet3 Wanaparthy1 | 2,98,631 178 | 1,939 29 | 2,95,059 148 | 1,633 1 |
DistrictCases Gurugram2,950 Faridabad867 Sonipat404 Rohtak145 Palwal120 Jhajjar114 Karnal104 Hisar98 Ambala93 Panipat78 Nuh68 Bhiwani60 Rewari56 Kurukshetra55 Sirsa50 Kaithal48 Mahendragarh47 CharkiDadri43 Panchkula39 Fatehabad38 Jind38 Yamunanagar19 | 2,70,411 148 | 1,103 49 | 2,66,264 98 | 3,044 1 |
DistrictCases Ahmadabad17,125 Surat2,311 Vadodara1,555 Gandhinagar410 Mahesana159 Banas Kantha147 Bhavnagar146 Rajkot135 Arvalli134 Mahisagar125 Anand107 PanchMahals107 Patan105 SabarKantha101 Kachchh99 Kheda98 Jamnagar63 Bharuch56 Botad55 Surendranagar55 Valsad47 GirSomnath45 Dohad43 Chhotaudepur37 Naysari35 Junagadh31 Narmada25 DevbhumiDwarka22 Amreli16 Porbandar11 Tapi6 Dang5 Morbi4 | 2,69,031 460 | 2,136 145 | 2,62,487 315 | 4,408 |
DistrictCases Patna279 Bhagalpur266 Rohtas256 Khagaria253 Begusarai243 Madhubani199 Munger188 Jehanabad178 Katihar175 Darbhanga143 Samastipur139 Siwan139 PurbiChamparan138 Purnia135 Banka134 Buxar134 Nalanda123 Gopalganj123 Nawada122 Sheikhpura118 Gaya115 Kaimur (bhabua)105 Bhojpur103 Saran101 Muzaffarpur96 Saharsa88 Supaul87 Vaishali87 Madhepura82 Kishanganj75 Aurangabad75 Sitamarhi73 Lakhisarai72 Araria68 Pashchim Champaran57 Arwal52 Jamui47 Sheohar20 | 2,62,464 46 | 431 47 | 2,60,493 92 | 1,540 1 |
DistrictCases Indore3,839 Bhopal1,880 Ujjain799 Burhanpur351 Neemuch319 Jabalpur276 East Nimar266 Sagar228 Gwalior211 Khargone196 Dewas140 Dhar132 Mandsaur112 Morena109 Bhind87 Raisen71 Barwani60 Ratlam51 Rewa39 Shajapur39 Hoshangabad37 Vidisha37 Chhatarpur35 Betul35 Rajgarh31 Dindori29 Sheopur26 Damoh26 Satna24 Anuppur22 Panna20 Tikamgarh18 Sidhi17 Narsinghpur17 Chhindwara16 Agar Malwa15 Mandla15 Shivpuri15 Jhabua14 Shandol14 Singrauli13 Ashoknagar13 Datia12 Sehore12 Umaria10 Balaghat9 Guna8 Harda4 Alirajpur3 Katni3 Seoni2 Niwari0 | 2,61,013 332 | 2,518 83 | 2,54,633 246 | 3,862 3 |
DistrictCases Kamrup Metro276 Golaghat203 Nagaon143 Hojai89 Dima Hasao86 Karimganj85 Tinsukia84 Cachar80 Dibrugarh61 Hailakandi57 Lakhimpur57 Marigaon50 Dhemaji47 Kamrup42 Kokrajhar37 Dhubri30 Charaideo29 Barpeta28 Udalguri28 Sonitpur27 Jorhat24 Nalbari23 Darrang20 Sivasagar20 Goalpara19 Biswanath16 Baksa14 KarbiAnglong13 Bongaigaon12 Chirang6 West KarbiAnglong5 South SalmaraMancachar4 Majuli2 | 2,17,518 34 | 1,634 11 | 2,14,792 22 | 1,092 1 |
DistrictCases Amritsar485 Jalandhar297 Ludhiana293 Tarn Taran163 Gurdaspur154 Hoshiarpur140 S.A.S Nagar137 Patiala132 Sangrur107 Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr)99 Pathankot86 Rupnagar (Ropar)74 Faridkot74 Sri Muktsar Sahib71 Moga65 Bathinda60 Fatehgarh Sahib57 Fazilka53 Firozepur50 Kapurthala44 Mansa31 Barnala25 | 1,81,004 622 | 4,222 352 | 1,70,968 255 | 5,814 15 |
DistrictCases Anantnag395 Srinagar300 Kulgam295 Baramulla271 Shopian255 Kupwara231 Bandipora175 Udhampur155 Ramban151 Jammu138 Budgam110 Pulwama108 Kathua53 Rajouri39 Ganderbal37 Poonch35 Doda27 Reasi26 Samba25 Kishtwar10 Mirpur0 Muzaffarabad0 | 1,26,286 85 | 803 17 | 1,23,527 101 | 1,956 1 |
DistrictCases East Singhbum170 Ranchi148 Hazaribagh110 Garhwa80 Ramgarh75 Koderma58 Simdega48 Dhanbad32 Gumla28 Palamu27 West Singhbhum21 SaraikelaKharsawan20 Giridih19 Bokaro16 Latehar14 Khunti10 Lohardaga8 Deoghar5 Dumka5 Pakur4 Jamtara2 Godda2 Chatra1 Sahebganj0 | 1,19,863 68 | 492 25 | 1,18,284 43 | 1,087 |
DistrictCases Dehradun370 Nainital323 Tehri Garhwal110 Haridwar94 Udam Singh Nagar83 Almora71 Champawat45 Pithoragarh43 Chamoli36 PauriGarhwal36 Bageshwar31 Rudraprayag30 Uttar Kashi24 | 97,031 | 490 1 | 94,850 | 1,691 1 |
DistrictCases Hamirpur117 Kangra105 Una41 Solan32 Chamba29 Bilaspur21 Mandi21 Sirmaur11 Shimla10 Kullu4 Kinnaur2 Lahaul And Spiti0 | 58,543 44 | 261 17 | 57,287 27 | 995 |
DistrictCases South Goa69 North Goa57 | 54,871 100 | 587 56 | 53,490 41 | 794 3 |
DistrictCases Pondicherry111 Mahe4 Karaikal2 Yanam0 | 39,697 20 | 194 2 | 38,836 22 | 667 |
DistrictCases Dhalai196 Sepahijala174 Gomati74 South Tripura53 Unakoti49 West Tripura45 Khowai24 North Tripura14 | 33,407 | 32 0 | 32,984 | 391 |
DistrictCases Churachandpur32 Kangpokpi26 Imphal West21 Thoubal18 Imphal East10 Tengnoupal9 Bishnupur7 Senapati6 Chandel5 Kamjong5 Ukhrul4 Jiribam3 Pherzawl3 Kakching2 Tamenglong2 Noney1 | 29,260 7 | 37 3 | 28,850 10 | 373 |
DistrictCases Chandigarh313 | 21,659 69 | 322 43 | 20,986 26 | 351 |
DistrictCases Changlang31 Papum Pare8 Lohit3 Namsai2 West Siang1 East Siang1 Upper Siang1 Tawang1 PakkeKessang1 West Kameng0 Upper Subansiri0 Tirap0 Siang0 Shi Yomi0 Anjaw0 Lower Subansiri0 Lower Dibang Valley0 Longding0 Leparada0 KurungKumey0 KraDaadi0 Kamle0 East Kameng0 Dibang Valley0 Lower Siang0 | 16,836 | 3 0 | 16,777 | 56 |
DistrictCases East Khasi Hills22 West Garo Hills5 South West Garo Hills4 North Garo Hills1 West Jaintia Hills1 West Khasi Hills1 East Garo Hills0 East Jaintia Hills0 Ribhoi0 South Garo Hills0 South West Khasi Hills0 | 13,961 | 19 1 | 13,794 1 | 148 |
DistrictCases Dimapur20 Mon8 Kohima7 Kiphire3 Tuensang3 Peren2 Phek1 Longleng0 Mokokchung0 Wokha0 Zunheboto0 | 12,198 | 9 4 | 12,098 4 | 91 |
DistrictCases Kargil77 LehLadakh43 | 9,816 2 | 54 2 | 9,632 4 | 130 |
DistrictCases East District3 South District3 North District0 West District0 | 6,135 2 | 45 2 | 5,955 | 135 |
DistrictCases South Andamans33 Nicobars1 North And Middle Andaman1 | 5,017 1 | 3 1 | 4,952 | 62 |
DistrictCases Kolasib11 Aizawl10 Mamit8 Lawngtlai2 Lunglei2 Saitual1 Champhai0 Hnahthial0 Khawzawl0 Saiha0 Serchhip0 | 4,422 3 | 26 1 | 4,386 4 | 10 |
DistrictCases Dadra And Nagar Haveli20 | 3,406 1 | 4 1 | 3,400 2 | 2 |
DistrictCases Lakshadweep District0 | 333 2 | 80 6 | 252 8 | 1 |