The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

DEPUTY Chief Medical Officer Dr Delon Brennen has said officials are not overly concerned about the transmission of COVID-19 from infected bodies to health and other industry professionals who handle the dead.

In an interview with The Tribune yesterday, Dr Brennen said medical officials have advised industry professionals including morticians that the established US Centers for Disease Control guidelines for the handling of corpses of infected victims are sufficient.

However, he said ideally, officials believe cremation is best when it comes to options for burial.

It has also been recommended that personal protective equipment be worn at all times regardless of the cause of death, said Kirsch Ferguson of the Bahamas Funeral Directors Association.

Officials are further recommending “double bagging” bodies, Dr Brennen said.

Dr Brennen was contacted after the issue was raised by several US media outlets citing the Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, which documented that a Thailand medical examiner contracted COVID-19 and died as a result of coming into contact with an infected body. This was the only case of its kind documented by the journal.

Dr Brennen said: “The CDC has a guideline for the handling of bodies and states that there is a safe way. Ideally cremation would minimise this issue but there are also safe ways to handle bodies outside of cremation for burial.

“So I don’t think we’re overly concerned. We provided some of that information to those who are in the mortuary business. We have opened up ourselves for further conversation if they require that but at the moment I don’t think it's an extreme concern for us.”

This is because he said the situation is not widespread.

“It's hard to say just off of one (case) that would truly be something to change all of our practices but I think the prevailing practice has been to use universal precautions and to double bag bodies and make sure that people are protected using personal protective equipment when they’re handling the bodies out of an abundance of caution,” Dr Brennen said.

For his part, Mr Ferguson said local morticians were relying on the CDC’s recommendations as well.

“As with all infectious disease cases there are concerns about our health and the health of the general public,” he’s said. “But regarding the article making the rounds on social media based on our understanding and acceptance of the Centers for Disease Control as long as we adhere to universal precautions and follow industry best practices we are ensured that our health is protected as well as that of the general public.”

He said the CDC has stressed the use of PPE at all times and to ensure handling guidelines are followed.

“They haven’t made any recommendations outside of what we are familiar with from our training and updating ourselves on infectious disease cases. What they are stressing particularly for funeral professionals from the onset of coming into contact - let’s say for example you are called into a home to remove a body. Under these conditions you must take precautions. You are not aware of the cause of death but we have to treat every case as an infectious case.

“So we have to adorn ourselves in proper PPEs and also follow proper disposal and also proper cleaning of our utensils and equipment and that's for everyone straight across the board.”

And like all sectors, Mr Ferguson said his industry will not go unaffected.

He noted that it was likely cost increases were on the way.

"The main concern for families is cost. While we are mindful that funerals carry a burden of financial responsibility, we are doing our best not to increase cost because of what is going on.

“As a matter of fact based on the restrictions that are before us we have to remind families of certain deletions to cost that we have to take on their pricing.

“Second to that families are free to choose embalming or cremation if they so wish and they must be mindful that postponement is not a deterrent to having what they want done. It’s just a matter of delaying the process in terms of when a funeral can be held if they want to wait for a traditional funeral as we all know it to be. But under these circumstances we can put together any wish that families put before us.”