DOT Desk: [2] Scientists have not yet ascertained how long coronavirus survives in the body after death. Scientists in Thailand have said they identified the first case of somebody dying from Covid-19, after catching the virus from a dead body. The case was reported in a letter published by the Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine on Saturday, reports Business Standard.
[3] It seems to be the first case, where coronavirus has transmitted from a dead body to a living person, in any country. Scientists have not yet ascertained how long coronavirus survives in the body after death. Inspection of coronavirus patients after they die is also not routine in Thailand, the letter said. These factors make it difficult to draw conclusions from the incident. [4] “At present, there is no data on the exact number of Covid-19 contaminated corpses since it is not a routine practice to examine for Covid-19 in dead bodies in Thailand,” the authors wrote.
[5] The authors also suggested that people working with dead bodies should use the same disinfectant protocols as frontline healthcare workers. Guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) state that transmission of viruses from dead bodies is rare, and that they do not survive in the human body for long after death. “Those handling bodies should be aware that there is likely to be a continuing risk of infection from the body fluids and tissues of cases where coronavirus infection is identified,” said the UK’s chief healthcare advisory body on March 31.