Union Health Ministry issues guideline to handle bodies of deceased coronavirus patients

The Union Health Ministry has issued guidelines for health professionals and the general public to handle bodies of those who have passed away due to coronavirus. Three people have died due to the virus in India - one in Karnataka, Delhi, and Mumbai.

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Guidelines to deal with dead body

The advisory issued on Tuesday is 'limited in scope' since it is as per the information that the officials have regarding the virus till now. 

The directive has 11 points, covering the procedure since the death of the patient till the time of burial/ burning of the body. 

The directive by the government advises the authorities to not conduct an autopsy and stated that only the lungs of a dead body can be infectious.  The directive clearly states that embalming or preserving the body should not take place.

The notification asks the medical authorities to ensure standard cleanliness and procedure while cleaning all surfaces, including the mortuary.

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Nearly 130 confirmed cases of the virus have been reported in India. 

Multiple states across the country have taken up measures to contain the spread of the virus, including shutting down schools, universities, malls and other places where a large number of people can gather. Multiple firms have also implemented work from home so as to not expose the employees to the virus.

The Union government announced a travel ban on and suspended all visas and stated that all existing visas, barring diplomatic, UN/International Organisations, employment and project visas, will stand suspended till April 15, 2020. 

DDCA issued a travel advisory on Monday which prohibited airlines from boarding passengers from "member countries of the European Union, the European Free Trade Association, Turkey and United Kingdom." The advisory extended to Afghanistan, Philippines, Malaysia on Tuesday. 

Globally, around 7,000 people have died due to Coronavirus, with the epicentre being China. The virus has infected around 1,82,000 people globally and has now spread to North America, South America, Europe, New Zealand, and more than 100 other countries.

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