Everything You Need To Know About What Happens To The Body Of A Person Who Dies To Covid-19 in S’pore

By
Shawn Ambrose
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Singapore is pretty lucky.

More than 110 countries have been hit by the Covid-19 disease, with over 120,000 people infected worldwide and over 4,500 deaths.

Thankfully, even though we now have a total of 177 cases, there have been no reported deaths so far in Singapore.

But what if we have cases of Covid-19 deaths? What happens to their bodies after death?

Are they allowed to have a funeral wake since, well, they have the Covid-19 virus?

Here’s what you need to know.

Funeral Firms Now Prepared To Handle Covid-19 Deaths

Funeral firms have been preparing for possible Covid-19 deaths in the last month, as government leaders and infectious-disease doctors have repeatedly warned of possible deaths in the future.

Some companies have established teams that will handle patients who die from Covid-19.

According to the National Environmental Agency (NEA), only funeral firms whose employees have undergone the basic infection-control course conducted by the National Centre for Infectious Diseases can collect, casket, and transport bodies for cremation or burial.

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Precautionary measures

The authorities have also outlined rules for handling the remains of infected patients.

For example, funeral workers responsible for handling Covid-19 deaths will wear personal protective equipment such as gloves and surgical masks, which protect wearers from the risk of infection.

Funeral firms are also conducting temperature checks even in non-Covid-19 funerals, for visitors during wakes. Vehicles and equipment are also disinfected more often.

The NEA, which regulates parlours, said hospital employees would double-bag the remains of those who had or were suspected to be infected, using sealed and leak-proof heavy-duty cadaveric body bags.

The bodies must be placed in a “hermetically sealed” coffin, and the coffin will only be wiped and disinfected in the hospital mortuary.

The remains should also not be sprayed, washed, or embalmed because the person handling the body will come into contact with bodily fluids of a patient who has died from the virus, the NEA added.

Brief funeral wakes allowed

Now, in case you’re wondering, funeral wakes for those who died from the disease are allowed as long as there’s no contact with the body, but they should be brief – they should be held within three days.

This is to minimise any potential risk posed by contact among large numbers of visitors during the wake, the NEA said.

So, families can have a brief prayer service at the cremation service hall to avoid holding a funeral/wake/prayer in a more public place.

According to TODAYonline, funeral directors said that wakes were disallowed during the SARS outbreak and that bodies were cremated immediately.

“Inevitable” we’ll see deaths

Now, while we’ve not had any Covid-19 deaths in Singapore so far, Health Minister Gan Kim Yong says that it’s “inevitable” that it will happen in the future.

“So far our healthcare workers are working very hard and trying their best to support them and hopefully they can recover. But it’s inevitable that at some point in time, we will see fatalities from Covid-19, as we’ve seen all around the world”.

The good thing is that if it happens, we’ll be well prepared.

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Shawn Ambrose
Email: [email protected]