Autopsies of COVID-19 deceased? Absolutely!

Sperhake, Jan-Peter

Sperhake, Jan-Peter.

Sperhake JP; Department of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Butenfeld 34, D-22529 Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: sperhake@uke.de.

Leg Med (Tokyo) ; 47: 101769, 2020 Nov.

Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-671649

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

Autopsies are an essential tool for understanding new diseases. Against this background, it is incomprehensible why there is great reluctance worldwide to perform autopsies on COVID-19 deceased patients. The article provides an overview of the status of the autopsy series published worldwide and shows the path taken by the city of Hamburg in Germany, where autopsies are ordered by the health authorities in the interests of disease control. The risk of infection posed by SARS-CoV-2-positive deceased persons may be overestimated. The scientific benefit that can be drawn from experience with autopsies and further examination of tissue samples is immeasurable.

Subject(s)

Autopsy; Coronavirus Infections/mortality; Infection Control/methods; Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional/prevention & control; Pneumonia, Viral/mortality; Betacoronavirus; COVID-19; Humans; Pandemics; Pathology Department, Hospital; SARS-CoV-2

Keywords

Autopsy; COVID-19; Pandemic; Post mortem; SARS-CoV-2

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Pneumonia, Viral / Autopsy / Infection Control / Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / Coronavirus Infections Type of study: Prognostic study Limits: Humans Language: English Journal: Leg Med (Tokyo) Journal subject: Jurisprudence Year: 2020 Document Type: Article

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