The West Bengal health department, in its bid to dispel fears of virus transmission
during cremation or burial of COVID-19 victims, has issued an
advisory here contending that no such risk was involved in the
process as officials were taking necessary precautions.
The department also stated that there was no chance of
airborne transmission as the disease spreads through droplets
coughed or sneezed out by an infected patient.
“The temperature generated during cremation is 800 to
1000 degrees Celsius, under which, the virus can no longer
remain viable. To this day, there isn’t any evidence to prove
that the smoke generated during cremation has caused COVID-
19,” the advisory explained. If standard precautions are taken, there is absolutely
no risk of infection from a dead body to healthcare workers,
family members, or people in the locality, the statement said.
The health department also quoted the World Health
Organisation (WHO) to underline that no such case has come to
the fore where a person is known to have contracted the
disease following his exposure to bodies of COVID-19 victims.
All precautionary measures were taken while performing
the last rites of the victims, in line with the ”The COVID
19 dead body management guidelines” released by the Union
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, it asserted.
“Hence, it is clear that if the protocol prescribed
for transportation and disposal of bodies of COVID-19 positive
persons is followed, there is no risk of any virus infection,
the statement stressed.
On March 23, locals in Nimtala area in the city had
staged a demonstration to stop government officials from
cremating the body of a COVID-19 victim at nearby crematorium.
Senior police officers took over two hours to convince
the residents that necessary measures have been taken to avoid
contamination.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has reserved a two-
furnace crematorium at Dhapa, another one at Topsia, and a
burial ground at Baghmari for coronavirus cases.
