In India protestors blocked the entrance to a crematorium fearing that the fumes might spread COVID-19. This notion is false. The intense heat of cremation would destroy any virus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that dead bodies are generally not infectious. Only the lungs of patients with pandemic influenza, if handled improperly during an autopsy, can be infectious. Otherwise, cadavers do not transmit disease.
Channel 7 News in Little Havana, Miami reported on thick clouds of black smoke billowing from a crematorium. Across the street the smoke drifted over outdoor diners. Though the smoke might not contain virus, it could contain harmful polyvinyl chloride, (PVC) plastics from body bags which can cause cancers. Bodies are being transported in thicker than normal body bags which might account for the black smoke. A crematory furnace has a second chamber which is supposed to super heat and burn off harmful emissions. For that reason most crematoriums don’t emit black clouds of thick smoke.
Surging Covid-19 cases leave cemeteries and funeral homes struggling to keep pace. Engineers in Bolivia have come up with a solution as pragmatic as it is macabre, a mobile crematorium. The 16 foot by 8 foot oven is small enough to fit on to a trailer, and is powered by locally produced liquefied petroleum gas, making it a cheap option for families who cannot afford a funeral service.
