Abstract
Unidentified human remains with unknown medical history can always pose biological hazards to forensic pathologists and odontologists, including hepatitis C, HIV infection, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), hemorrhagic fever viruses such as Ebola, meningitis and now Sars-Cov2. The pandemic of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has reached 185 Countries with an increasing number of deaths. Forensic pathologists and odontologists may find themselves having to perform an identification autopsy to confirmed or suspected Sars-Cov2 positive deaths. By respecting the entire set of universal precautions and recommendations the highlighted risks can be minimized, and best practice in human identification should always be a priority for human rights of the dead. The following article is a summary of the recommendations for conducting dental autopsies and management of suspected COVID-19 cases.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 154-156 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Forensic Science International: Synergy |
Volume | 2 |
Early online date | 4 May 2020 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2020 |
Keywords
- Covid-19
- Dental autopsy
- Forensic odontology
- Human identification
- Novel corona virus
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pathology and Forensic Medicine
- Law