Death in the time of corona: Are we prepared?

The world is being ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality However, this is not the first time that the world is facing such a deadly pandemic During the devastating 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, about 500 million people were infected and 50 million people died, with no antiviral or vaccine available Pandemics pose serious challenges to healthcare experts and administrators on tackling the myriad problems that arise during these crises Pandemics often result in very high number of deaths, making proper handling and disposal of the dead an arduous task As of 25June 2020, therewere more than 478,000 COVID-19 deaths reported worldwide The disposal of the dead should be done safely to minimize the spread of the infection while protecting the family and healthcare workers with appropriate personal protective equipment The details of handling an infected body are often overlooked by administrators and leaders while formulating protocols In this article, we attempt to take a look at the methods of dead body disposal during previous pandemics and compare them with the current protocols followed for COVID-19 deaths © 2020 South India Medico-Legal Association All rights reserved