SARS-CoV-2 persistence and infectivity in COVID-19 corpses: a systematic review.
Forensic Sci Med Pathol
; 2022 Aug 24.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2277147
ABSTRACT
The persistence and infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in different postmortem COVID-19 specimens remain unclear despite numerous published studies. This information is essential to improve corpses management related to clinical biosafety and viral transmission in medical staff and the public community. We aim to understand SARS-CoV-2 persistence and infectivity in COVID-19 corpses. We conducted a systematic review according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocols. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Science Direct Scopus, and Google Scholar databases using specific keywords. We critically reviewed the collected studies and selected the articles that met the criteria. We included 33 scientific papers that involved 491 COVID-19 corpses. The persistence rate and maximum postmortem interval (PMI) range of the SARS-CoV-2 findings were reported in the lungs (138/155, 89.0%; 4 months), followed by the vitreous humor (7/37, 18.9%; 3 months), nasopharynx/oropharynx (156/248, 62.9%; 41 days), abdominal organs (67/110, 60.9%; 17 days), skin (14/24, 58.3%; 17 days), brain (14/31, 45.2%; 17 days), bone marrow (2/2, 100%; 12 days), heart (31/69, 44.9%; 6 days), muscle tissues (9/83, 10.8%; 6 days), trachea (9/20, 45.0%; 5 days), and perioral tissues (21/24, 87.5%; 3.5 days). SARS-CoV-2 infectivity rates in viral culture studies were detected in the lungs (9/15, 60%), trachea (2/4, 50%), oropharynx (1/4, 25%), and perioral (1/4, 25%) at a maximum PMI range of 17 days. The SARS-CoV-2 persists in the human body months after death and should be infectious for weeks. This data should be helpful for postmortem COVID-19 management and viral transmission preventive strategy.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Prognostic study
/
Reviews
/
Systematic review/Meta Analysis
Language:
English
Journal subject:
Jurisprudence
/
Medicine
/
Pathology
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
S12024-022-00518-w
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