Has someone close to you died of COVID-19? You will not see the body before the funeral, and you will not be able to say goodbye in the chapel by the hospital or church. The funeral of a person who died from COVID-19 is subject to special security measures - recommendations on the burial of people who died due to coronavirus were included in a special regulation of the Ministry of He alth. How are people who died of COVID-19 being treated?
Detailed information onburials of people who died from coranavirusare specified in the ordinance issued by the Ministry of He alth. The regulation states that the body of a person who died from COVID-19 must be disinfected with a disinfectant with a virucidal effect. The standard procedure for washing the corpse should also be abandoned, but special precautions must be taken if necessary.
The Ministry of He alth emphasizesto avoid wearing the body for burial and presenting it to the family . Therefore, the bodies of people who died from COVID-19 are placed in a protective, sealed bag along with clothing or hospital cover. These bags must then be disinfected. The corpse protected in this way must be placed in a coffin - or in a transport capsule if it is transferred to a crematorium.
Such a capsule must be made of a material that enables it to be washed and disinfected. If the deceased is buried in a coffin, a five-centimeter layer of a liquid-absorbing substance must be placed at the bottom of the coffin.
Once the body is in the coffin, close it tightly and spray it with a virucidal disinfectant. The same should be done in the case of transport to the crematorium.
You also need to decontaminate the room where the deceased was and all items with which he had contact. If the sick person died in the hospital, then people employed by the hospital will disinfect and protect the body of the deceased, if at home - funeral parlors. The body of a person who died due to COVID-19 must not be approached without special protection.
Therefore, according to the ordinance, people who come into contact with the corpse must be protected with personal protective equipment such as coveralls or a long protective apron and a cap for the head, a mask covering the nose andmouth, goggles or a helmet with protection, disposable nitrile gloves.
How many people can attend the funeral of a person who died from COVID-19?In line with the October 9, 2022 ordinance on the establishment of certain restrictions, orders and prohibitions in connection with the occurrence of the state of epidemic (Journal of Laws, item 1758), buildings and other objects of religious worship may be - at a distance of not less than 1.5 m, not more than 1 person per 7 sq m of space, not including religious worshipers or those who are buried, or employed by a funeral home or company in the event of a funeral.
Everyone except the worshiper must wear face masks. If too many people come to the funeral, the organizers - the family - are responsible for violating the admissible number of people. According to the regulations, it is the family of the deceased who must ask the participants of the ceremony to put on a mask, keep the appropriate distance and follow the other guidelines.
According to the Polish Press Agency, when asked about the burial of people with COVID-19, the owners of funeral directors explain that the bodies and coffins are specially prepared. The owner of one of the funeral homes at the Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw explained to PAP that the body of a person who died from COVID-19, before being put into the coffin, is decontaminated, placed in a special package, and only then in the coffin, which is previously disinfected. "This is to ensure the safety of plant workers and mourners," he said. "We make sure to maintain the sanitary regime at every stage" - he added.
In turn, an employee of a funeral home in Warsaw's Bielany drew attention to the fact thatthese funerals take place with a slightly longer delay than the others, because in this case, due to the death of a family member on COVID-19, the household of the deceased are in quarantine and the date of the funeral must be adjusted to its end."The point is that only after leaving quarantine they can organize a funeral" - he said.
SOURCE: PAP