Role of duties related to COVID-19 suspected, probable and confirmed fatality cases

The outbreak caused by SARS-CoV-2 beta-coronavirus, first identified in Wuhan, China, was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11th March, 2020. In Hungary, the first confirmed COVID-19 case was reported on 4th March, 2020, and on 15th March, the first fatality related to the infection was announced. At the moment of the latter event, there was no central, standardized guideline, which could explain the necessary precautions, and provide an unequivocal description on how to handle the dead body. The procedure of transportation, storage, occurent autopsy or final disposition of the deceased raise a lot of questions, especially on how to carry out these tasks. Legislation related to infectious diseases and decedent management in general do not provide enough information on how to perform duties in a COVID-19 fatality case. The chief medical officer suspended the execution of autopsies, except in cases of unnatural death, since 19th March, however, the transportation and storage of fatalities can still be a problem. The Department of Pathology of the Healthcare Professional College of the Ministry of Human capacities published a procedure on recommended post-mortem duties on 21st March, but the suggested protocols only represent a narrow spectrum of international recommendations. Therefore supplementation may be necessary. Sadly, post-mortem protocols, in spite of their importance, are also underrepresented in the international literature. A further problem, wich makes adoptability difficult, is that available foreign guidelines and algorithms are optimized for different legislation, and organisations, resources not available in our country. In this article, besides providing a summary of literature, we would also like to make practical recommendations which may increase the safety of healthcare providers participating in the treatment or pathological duties with COVID-19 suspected, probable and confirmed cases. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(17): 713–722.