ATTENTION!!
Attention to all Forensic Scientists: COVID-19 lives on in blood after death
COVID-19 has found access to enter human body through dead!
The
current novel COVID-19 pandemic is definitely a challenging period for every
human all around the world. However a new challenge in terms of protection has
arisen for forensic scientist who are involve in Forensic pathology, serology
or biology as COVID-19 is capable of spreading through the blood of vermic
patient.
COVID-19 PRESENTING A MENACING GESTURE TO FORENSIC SCIENTIST
COVID-19
is a respiratory pathogen and can be transmitted via respiratory droplets, but
also through the blood of a viremic patient. You might have heard this phrase that
“dead men tells no tail unless you are in
forensics” well, there is a slight modification to this phrase in regards
to present situation and that is “Dead
men can spread Coronavirus while telling tails”. I know
it sounds like a movie or as if we are discussing new episode of "The
walking dead" series. The explanation is given by a Forensic Pathologist- Judy
Melinek that “Even though decedents don’t cough but they can expel bodily
fluids while they are being moved or transported” so the Forensic Scientists of
different department are under threat of getting infected
while examining such infected bodies.
Forensic Scientists Beware: COVID-19 lives on in blood after death
Judy
Melinek, a forensic pathologist in the San Francisco Bay Area, has performed
autopsies under many different circumstances and said- “We are used to dealing
with contagious pathogens like tuberculosis, hepatitis and HIV. COVID-19 is
different only in that there is currently no treatment and it is more resilient
in that it sticks around the dead body after death,” Melinek recently told The
Times of Israel.
If
a person dies with “flu-like” symptoms, then the office deputies ask questions
at the death scene to establish if the patient traveled recently, and whether
they were exposed to a known COVID-19 positive patient.
“A
nasopharyngeal swab can be done on the first day and if it comes back positive,
we may be able to certify the death without an autopsy, just based on the
clinical history of respiratory distress and the positive viral test,” Melinek
said.
She
added that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) currently
does not recommend performing an autopsy in COVID-19 positive patients for
diagnosis.
According
to Melinek, standard personal protective equipment for an autopsy is an N95
respirator, face shield, booties, plastic apron, hair net, and double gloves.
In the past she and her associates would use surgical masks, but now they are
using N95s in all their cases.
Forensic
pathologists are currently also using powered air-purifying respirators
(PAPRs), disposable hoods that attach to a hose and pump that creates positive
pressure within the hood and filters the air they breathe. Reusable hoods also
exist, which have to be decontaminated between cases.
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DISCLAIMER- The content of interview of Judy Melinel is taken from The Times of Israel. Covid-19 is challenging to different field/department in unique ways, scientists are working on it and updating with new theories and facts. No need to Panic just follow the instructions given by the legitimate organization.
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