RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 ‘Good’ and ‘Bad’ deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic: insights from a rapid qualitative study
JF BMJ Global Health
JO BMJ Global Health
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP e005509
DO 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-005509
VO 6
IS 6
A1 Nikita Simpson
A1 Michael Angland
A1 Jaskiran K Bhogal
A1 Rebecca E Bowers
A1 Fenella Cannell
A1 Katy Gardner
A1 Anishka Gheewala Lohiya
A1 Deborah James
A1 Naseem Jivraj
A1 Insa Koch
A1 Megan Laws
A1 Jonah Lipton
A1 Nicholas J Long
A1 Jordan Vieira
A1 Connor Watt
A1 Catherine Whittle
A1 Teodor Zidaru-Bărbulescu
A1 Laura Bear
YR 2021
UL http://gh.bmj.com/content/6/6/e005509.abstract
AB Dealing with excess death in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the question of a ‘good or bad death’ into sharp relief as countries across the globe have grappled with multiple peaks of cases and mortality; and communities mourn those lost. In the UK, these challenges have included the fact that mortality has adversely affected minority communities. Corpse disposal and social distancing guidelines do not allow a process of mourning in which families and communities can be involved in the dying process. This study aimed to examine the main concerns of faith and non-faith communities across the UK in relation to death in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research team used rapid ethnographic methods to examine the adaptations to the dying process prior to hospital admission, during admission, during the disposal and release of the body, during funerals and mourning. The study revealed that communities were experiencing collective loss, were making necessary adaptations to rituals that surrounded death, dying and mourning and would benefit from clear and compassionate communication and consultation with authorities.Data are available upon request.