Every day, Le Parisien is mobilized to answer your questions around the coronavirus. Today we are interested in the questioning of Alberto, who asks us how to be sure that the body in the coffin is that of his loved one who died because of the Covid-19.
A government decree issued on April 1 provides for an “immediate” brewing of the deceased affected or probably affected by Covid-19, in order to limit the risk of infection. "Generally, this happens in less than 24 hours," said Richard Féret, deputy director general of the Confederation of Undertakers and Marble (CPFM), the main professional organization in the sector. The official said that this measure was extended, while the mortuary was again authorized on May 1.
When a person dies in a hospital or nursing home, the High Council for Public Health (HCSP) recommends that the body be "wrapped in a waterproof body cover with the identification of the deceased and the time of death written on the cover ". "Some establishments agree to leave a few hours before closing the cover so that relatives who are not far can come and see the deceased one last time," says Richard Féret.
In its opinion of March 24, the HCSP also recommends that "relatives [can] see the face of the deceased in the hospital, mortuary or funeral room, while respecting the barrier measures defined below for each place" .
"Anything that can reassure a family can be useful"
However, it is generally complicated for a hospital center to allow families to come while respecting the sanitary measures of social distancing and without risking contributing to the spread of the virus. This practice would however be a little less rare due to the lower tension in the morgues linked to the decrease in the daily number of deaths. The fact remains that in the majority of cases, relatives must trust medical personnel and funeral operators, who ensure before brewing that the label on the cover corresponds to the identity of the deceased.
“It is all about trust and responsibility. We can always ask the funeral operator to take a photo of the deceased, because anything that can reassure a family can be useful, ”said Pierre Larribe, legal counsel for the CPFM. "It is all the more terrible that some have not seen their loved one for three or four weeks," adds Richard Féret.
If the death takes place at home, the High Council of Public Health recommends leaving "an opening of 5-10 cm at the top if the body could not be presented to loved ones and must be presented in a funeral chamber".
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VIDEO. Coronavirus: the sadness of a closed funeral
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