Funerals of coronavirus victims in Sinaloa are prohibited

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Funeral rituals that involve meetings or crowds of people in contact with the body
* Cremation will be presided over, always acting with respect and human compassion for people who have lost a loved one

Sinaloa.- In the management of corpses by COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) it is established to avoid carrying out funeral rituals that involve meetings or crowds of people in contact with the body, the coffin must be closed and the final disposition must be it must be carried out as soon as possible by cremation within the range of twelve hours after the diagnosis of death, said the Sinaloa State Commission for Protection against Health Risks (Coepriss).


The Ministry of Health, through the Sinaloa State Commission for Protection against Sanitary Risks (Coepriss), met with representatives of the entity’s funeral companies to discuss the guidelines on the final disposal of the body by COVID-19 (SARS-CoV -2) or suspected coronavirus, respecting human dignity in the treatment of the bodies and the relationship with the relatives of the deceased. “The ashes can be manipulated without involving any risk,” said Commissioner Jorge Alan Urbina Vidales.

The Secretary of Economy, Lic. Javier Lizárraga Mercado pointed out that Governor Quirino Ordaz Coppel asked local textile producers to immediately produce a million face masks or masks with a double layer of special fabric, and the activation of local companies in the manufacture of cotton mouth guards for surgical use, biodegradable hermetic bags for corpses and other supplies for contingencies.

Dr. Victor Hugo Sánchez Maloff, Undersecretary of Medical Care representing Dr. Efrén Encinas Torres, Secretary of Health in the State, promised to take the agreements of this meeting to all hospitals in Sinaloa.

In publicizing the guidelines for the management of the corpse by COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2), the head of Coepriss pointed out that at all times human respect and compassion for people who have lost a loved one must prevail. . “Any attitude that discriminates or stigmatizes the deceased and his family, friends or contacts derived from the diagnosis must not be tolerated. If there are support teams from the mental health or thanatological team, help should be sought for managing the bereaved, “he said.

“The body must be transferred as soon as possible to the unit morgue after death, following the biosafety recommendations in an expedited manner, and it must be verified that the recommended precautions are followed,” said the commissioner, establishing in uniform criteria that the corpses must leave hospital institutions in hermetically sealed bags and if they do not have this input, wrapped in cloth, complying with biosafety and protection against health risks.


“The corpse must be placed in a biodegradable corpse transfer bag, which meets the sanitary technical characteristics of resistance to the pressure of the gases inside and impermeability. The introduction into the bag must be done inside the room. Once the body is properly packed in the bag, the external disinfection of the bag with 0.1% hypochlorite solution (1000 ppm) is recommended, “he said.

The transfer bag, he pointed out, containing the corpse can be introduced into a coffin after its external disinfection with 0.1% sodium hypochlorite solution. After the correct introduction of the corpse and disinfection of the transfer bag, the external manipulation of it or the coffin that contains it does not cause risk.

He also stated that funeral employees must disinfect the cloth bags or wrappings that will be used for the transfer of the bodies and proceed with their transfer even if they have not been provided with the death certificate, which is the commitment to find mechanisms for the speed of the process or subsequent delivery. “They should not refuse to provide the service,” he warned.

During the meeting, the representatives of the funeral companies expressed their concern about the shortage of supplies for the management of the corpses by COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) or suspects of coronaviruses since the bags with biodegradable hermetic closures are almost exhausted. . In this regard, an agreement was reached that the bodies would be handled and transferred from the hospital to the funeral unit in the aforementioned manner and that the State Government would shortly guarantee the supply of these supplies and also those related to N95 masks, gloves and biosecurity suits type Tyvek as they are sold out on the market.

Regarding the operation of cremation ovens, the representatives of the funeral companies specified that it was carried out during the night and to respond to the contingency they required to use them also during the day, a request that was agreed to warning that atmospheric emissions should be sterile and that the population that these emissions do not represent any health risk or possible contagion since temperatures reaching 600 to 700 ºC eliminate any microorganism.

In this same sense, the State Government will contemplate the possible acquisition of one or more cremation furnaces if necessary and it is agreed to establish coordination with the 18 municipal presidents of Sinaloa so that they assign to each of the mayorships a land for the burial of the corpses by COVID-19.

The areas of social work and psychology should provide guidance and accompaniment to the relatives of people who died of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) or suspected coronaviruses, emphasizing the criteria established for the disposal of bodies during the present contingency.

The head of Coepriss stressed during the meeting that there is no evidence to date, that there is a risk of infection from the corpses of people killed by COVID-19, however, it can be considered that these corpses could pose a risk of infection for the People who come into direct contact with them and for this reason, and to comply with the guidelines of the health policy on healthy distance, these agreements have been established.

He asserted that the need to not touch or kiss the body should be explained to the family in simple terms under the concepts of the transmission mechanisms of the disease (contact and drops). Likewise, upon delivery of the body by the institution’s trained personnel, with the support of the areas of social work and psychology, the family must already have a body disposal plan and the funeral services contracted with the limitations due to the COVID-19 contingency established in this agreement.

Also present at the meeting with representatives of funeral companies were Dr. Yuquie Higuera Castro, deputy director of Hospital Care in Sinaloa; Lic. Melvin Noé Márquez Harper, Legal and Regulatory Director of the Sinaloa Health Services; Hilde María Salgado Pauwells, Under Secretary for Economic Development; Eng. Esaú Johnadab Espinoza Sánchez, Head of the Department of Regulation of Services and Supplies for Health of Coepriss; Lic. Guadalupe Gámez Rodríguez, Coepriss institutional liaison and Eng. Enrique Alfonso Ferrer Mac Gregor Gil, Head of the Evidence and Risk Management Department who served as moderator.

Source: sinaloaenlinea.com

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