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Proposal for a harmonized protocol for COVID-19 screening and necropsy in forensic sciences facilities
Emilio González-Arnay1, Raquel Martín-Olivera2, Yamilet C Quintero-Quintero3
1Applied Anatomy Laboratory. Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience. Autonomous University of Madrid, Calle Arzobispo Morcillo, 4, 28029, Madrid, Spain; Division of Pathology, Canary Islands University Hospital, La Laguna, Canary Islands, Spain.
Insights
This study proposes a detailed autopsy protocol for forensic medicine institutes during the COVID-19 pandemic. It ensures worker safety while optimizing tissue collection for SARS-CoV-2 research.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Pathology
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has led to a global health crisis with significant mortality.
- Detailed pathological findings and standardized autopsy protocols for COVID-19 are lacking.
- Existing histopathological studies often use limited samples or minimally invasive methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a comprehensive autopsy protocol for forensic medicine institutes during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
- To balance the need for detailed tissue collection with essential worker safety measures.
- To facilitate standardized histopathological examination of COVID-19 fatalities.
Main Methods:
- Development of a detailed necropsy protocol specifically for COVID-19 cases.
- Integration of stringent safety measures for personnel involved in autopsies.
- Emphasis on optimal tissue sampling for subsequent histopathological analysis.
Main Results:
- The proposed protocol provides a structured approach to conducting autopsies on COVID-19 victims.
- It addresses the critical need for detailed pathological data in the absence of comprehensive studies.
- The protocol aims to enhance the quality and consistency of tissue samples for research.
Conclusions:
- A standardized and safe autopsy protocol is crucial for understanding the pathology of COVID-19.
- Implementing this protocol can improve the quality of forensic and scientific investigations into SARS-CoV-2 deaths.
- This approach supports both worker protection and the advancement of scientific knowledge regarding COVID-19.
Abstract:
On 31 December 2019, health authorities in the People's Republic of China informed the World Health Organization of a then limited outbreak of interstitial viral pneumonia, identified at a laboratory in the city of Wuhan. In mid-April 2020 this outbreak of COVID-19 (as the disease has been called) has aggravated and spread worldwide, causing more than 200,000 deaths and affecting especially the United States, Spain, Italy, France and the United Kingdom. Despite the severity of the outbreak, the pathological findings have not been described in detail and there are very few guidelines or protocols for conducting autopsy studies on patients who have died from COVID-19. There are currently very few histopathological case series studies on this disease. In addition, some of these studies have been performed on biopsies or surgical resection pieces from patients in whom disease was subsequently demonstrated or through minimally invasive autopsy protocols. None of the studies offer a detailed necropsy protocol. This document proposes a protocol of action for the institutes of Forensic Medicine facing the current SARS-CoV2 pandemic, which combines protection of worker safety with optimization of tissue collection.
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