Since the beginning of the pandemic, people have suspected that corpses carry COVID. Now there is a study that verifies this. A corps is infectious up to 17 days after death according to a study published in the International Journal of Legal Medicine. The study shows that a corpse can carry a significant amount of the virus. They found that dead hamsters can transmit the virus to cage mates.
Researchers found that six of the 11 corpses they tested had high amounts of virus in their noses and lungs after they died. Researchers found the most virus in the lungs, as opposed to the upper respiratory tract, and said gases that build up after death can be released through any orifice, including the mouth, and may carry disease.
Embalming can help prevent transmission, as will the Japanese practice of “angel care,” which is plugging the mouth, nose, ears, and anus with cotton pads.
Those who are most at risk are morticians and health care workers. If you are at a funeral, you should be cautious around your loved one’s remains. Of course you are much more likely to become infected from friends and relatives at a funeral rather than a corpse. You should take the usual precautions at a funeral, wear a quality and well fitted kn95 or n95 mask indoors. If there is poor ventilation indoors then step outside for air. Social distance, and wash your hands often.