Coronavirus: Rapid Antigen Tests to be conducted on dead bodies

Amid the rising coronavirus death toll, government hospitals will now conduct a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) on the deceased brought in, to determine if the person had been Covid-19 positive or not. A government circular has also been issued, wherein dead bodies will be tested using TrueNat/ CBNAAT (Tests used for detecting Tuberculosis), to ensure the easy facilitation of bodies.

The coronavirus cases continue to mount with the country’s tally crossing the 49-lakh mark, and reporting over 80,000 deaths. Maharashtra has recorded over 10 lakh cases, as of Monday. Conducting RATs on dead persons could provide an accurate death toll, and the method of conducting these tests is not as time-consuming, with results received within an hour or so.

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If the deceased has tested positive, the body can be immediately disposed of, to curb further spread of the novel coronavirus.

Sassoon General Hospital in Mumbai reports an average of 40-50 deaths, and at least 15 are brought in dead, according to a report in The Indian Express. The government medical college and hospital at Nagpur, sees 30-35 deaths daily, with at least five to 10 brought dead, the report added.

Death due to a coronavirus infection does not require the postmortem and the required certification for the cause of death can be done by the treating doctor.

The circular also added that bodies with suspected coronavirus infection may be marked as medico-legal cases by the doctor in an emergency and then sent to the mortuary. The police may then necessitate a medico-legal autopsy for clarity in cause and manner of death (whether natural/ unnatural).

The guidelines also stated that RATs showing a negative result for Covid-19 will be reconsidered and follow other tests to ensure the actual cause of death. This is carried out as RATs often show false negatives, which can waiver the country’s death toll.