Table 3

Characteristics of the guidance documents on the strategies for the management of the bodies of deceased persons with suspected or confirmed COVID-19

Publishing organisationCountryMonth, year of last updateLanguageTarget audienceDocument dedicated to handling deceasedStatus of deceased COVID-19Setting of handling deceased
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention15 USAMarch, 2020EnglishMedical examiners, coroners, pathologists and other workers involved in providing postmortem care, and local and state health departments✓Suspected or confirmedNot specified
Government of India Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Directorate General of Health Services (EMR Division)13 IndiaMarch, 2020EnglishHealthcare workers and personnel who handle dead bodies in isolation area, mortuary, and ambulance and workers in crematorium/burial✓Suspected or confirmedHealthcare facilities/hospitals
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control16 Europe2020EnglishPublic health authorities in European Union (EU)/European Economic Area (EAA) Member States and the UK✓Suspected or confirmedHospitals and communities
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department17 Hong KongFebruary, 2020EnglishHospitals, public mortuaries, funeral workers and personnel on conveyances✓ConfirmedNot specified
Public Health Agency of Sweden18 SwedenMarch, 2020SwedishHealthcare pathological units, forensic units, religious communities and funeral contractors✓ConfirmedNot specified
WHO12 United NationsMarch, 2020EnglishHealthcare managers, mortuaries, religious and public health authorities, and families✓Suspected or confirmedHealthcare facilities
Zhejiang University School of Medicine19 ChinaNot specifiedEnglishMedical personnel involved in the management of coronavirus☓Suspected or confirmedHospital
Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka20 Sri Lanka2020EnglishHealth sector in Sri Lanka☓Suspected or confirmedHospitals
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control21 EuropeMarch, 2020EnglishEU/EEA healthcare facilities and healthcare providers☓Suspected or confirmedHospitals and communities
UK Government22 UKMarch, 2020EnglishFirst responders and others in close contact with suspected cases including professionals, members of voluntary organisations and emergency service professionals. Also, for Police officers, Border Force officers and Immigration Enforcement officers☓SuspectedCommunities
Estonian Health Board23 Estonia2020EstonianNot specified✓Suspected or confirmedHospitals
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Directorate General of Health Services (Emergency Medical Relief)14 BangladeshNot specifiedEnglishHealthcare workers and other personnel working in points of entries, quarantine centres, hospitals, laboratories, primary healthcare and community settings☓Not specifiedHospitals
Department of Health and Social Care, Public Health Wales, Public Health Agency Northern Ireland, Health Protection Scotland and Public Health England24 UK2020EnglishNational Health Service (NHS) and healthcare settings (that include infection prevention and control)☓Suspected or confirmedNot specified
The Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis and Outbreak Response, Division of Public Health Surveillance and Response, National Institute for Communicable Diseases of the National Health Laboratory Services and the National Department of Health, South Africa25 South AfricaMarch, 2020EnglishHealthcare workers in medical laboratories, provincial health departments and emergency medical support team☓Suspected or confirmedAmbulance (death during transportation)
Partners in Health26 USAMarch, 2020EnglishPersonnel in hospitals involved in screening, triage, infection control and mortuaries☓Suspected or confirmedHospitals
Clinical Excellence Commission—New South Wales Government27 New South WalesMarch, 2020EnglishPersonnel in healthcare or residential and aged care facilities☓Suspected or confirmedResidential and aged care facilities (including multipurpose service residential care)
Clinical Excellence Commission—New South Wales Government28 New South WalesFebruary, 2020EnglishPersonnel in hospital or similar healthcare setting☓Suspected or confirmedHealthcare facilities/hospitals
The Royal College of Pathologists29 UKFebruary, 2020EnglishPathologists, trainees, anatomical pathology technologists and onsite managers in mortuaries. Also, hospital managers overseeing the mortuary, local authority mortuary managers and coroners✓Suspected or confirmedHospitals*
Researchers30 IndiaFebruary, 2020EnglishNot specified☓Not specifiedHealthcare facilities
Society of Pathological Doctors, Chinese Medical Doctors Association; Chinese Society of Pathology, Chinese Medical Association31 ChinaMarch, 2020ChinesePathologists☓Suspected or confirmedHospitals*
Experts32 ChinaFebruary, 2020ChinesePathologists☓Suspected or confirmedHospitals*
Syndhedstyrelsen33 DenmarkMarch, 2020DanishDanish health authorities, health service settings and healthcare workers☓Suspected or confirmedNot specified
Helsedirektoratet34 NorwayMarch, 2020NorwegianHealthcare workers☓Suspected or confirmedNot specified

  • *Guidance document specific to autopsy.