COVID-19 Death: Autopsy and Pathological Findings – A Case Report

ABSTRACT

Corona viruses are a large family of viruses that may cause respiratory illness in animals or humans. The most recently discovered corona virus causes Corona Virus Disease-19 (COVID-19), also known as SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2), which became a global pandemic and is persisting. The data on the spectrum of gross and microscopic changes in COVID-19 infections is insufficient to accurately outline the disease process due to its ever-changing viral nature. The current knowledge on this aspect is not comprehensive since limited numbers of autopsies are conducted on such dead bodies because of higher infectivity and increased risk of transmission. We report a case of a 33-year-old male who was admitted to our institute with an alleged history of road traffic accident, later tested positive for COVID-19 and developed Covid-19 Pneumonia and succumbed. The detailed autopsy and histopathological findings are discussed. Performing autopsies on cases of COVID-19 deaths are helpful in understanding the pathology, disease process and variability in clinical presentation of COVID-19. © 2021, Punjab Academy of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. All rights reserved.