Autopsies of COVID-19 deceased? Absolutely!

Jan-Peter Sperhake

doi:10.1016/j.legalmed.2020.101769

Autopsies of COVID-19 deceased? Absolutely!

Leg Med (Tokyo). 2020 Nov:47:101769. doi: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2020.101769. Epub 2020 Jul 26.

Author

Jan-Peter Sperhake¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Legal Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Butenfeld 34, D-22529 Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: sperhake@uke.de.

Abstract

Autopsies are an essential tool for understanding new diseases. Against this background, it is incomprehensible why there is great reluctance worldwide to perform autopsies on COVID-19 deceased patients. The article provides an overview of the status of the autopsy series published worldwide and shows the path taken by the city of Hamburg in Germany, where autopsies are ordered by the health authorities in the interests of disease control. The risk of infection posed by SARS-CoV-2-positive deceased persons may be overestimated. The scientific benefit that can be drawn from experience with autopsies and further examination of tissue samples is immeasurable.

Keywords: Autopsy; COVID-19; Pandemic; Post mortem; SARS-CoV-2.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Autopsy*
Betacoronavirus
COVID-19
Coronavirus Infections / mortality*
Humans
Infection Control / methods*
Infectious Disease Transmission, Patient-to-Professional / prevention & control*
Pandemics
Pathology Department, Hospital
Pneumonia, Viral / mortality*
SARS-CoV-2