"Drawing of swabs from dead people has been banned. Yesterday, the union health secretary was clear on that. But the cremation of a person who is a COVID-19 suspect remains the same, no change," said Health Commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pandey, a day after Karnataka revised its lab testing protocol. Now, there is no need to do a COVID-19 test after death.
This decision comes close on the heels of the Delhi Health Secretary's order three weeks back when she decided that the Union Territory will no longer take samples after death even if the person is suspected to have died of coronavirus. However, those suspected to have died of coronavirus have to be buried or cremated as per ICMR protocols.
Malini Aisola, co-convener, All India Drug Action Network, said, "Taking swabs from dead bodies in cases suspected to have been affected by COVID-19 is recommended by the ICMR. It is necessary for contact tracing and also important for monitoring spread of the infection as deaths are an important indicator (being a fraction of all cases). A policy against testing dead bodies undermines appropriate reporting of COVID-19 deaths as per guidelines.
Delhi government's decision to stop testing dead bodies received criticism for similar reasons and was taken when systematic under reporting of deaths was exposed by the media.”
This decision only helps in bringing down the mortality rates of the state as out of the 64 deaths reported so far, many were declared COVID-19 positive days after their death. On Monday alone, two of the three deaths in Bengaluru Urban were of those who had died on June 4 and June 5 respectively but their COVID-19 test reports came three to four days later.
Dr MK Sudarshan, Chairman of the state COVID-19 task force said, "A patient is more infectious than a dead COVID-19 patient. So a COVID-19 test is not required after death. After maintaining necessary precautions, COVID-19 suspects can be buried. Initially, there were instructions to take the swabs within two to six hours. We are not hiding any COVID-19 deaths."
Bengaluru Urban has so far seen 18 COVID-19 deaths and one suicide by a COVID-19 patient. Dr Srinivas GA, District Health Officer, Bengaluru Urban said, "In our district at least in four or five deaths, the swabs were taken after the patient died. We have not received any direction not to take swabs from dead bodies, yet."