We already knew that Covid-19 was able to stay in the body for another five days after death. However, another more recent study claims that this same virus continues to replicate in the body for up to 35 hours after death.
Covid-19: Constant RNA Levels
In May 2020, forensic pathologists and pathologists from the forensic medicine department of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (Germany) confirmed that SARS-CoV-2 is still present in the body for about five days after death. The study in question had shown the presence of the virus in various organs such as the lungs, liver, pharynx, heart, as well as kidneys. In addition, this work shed more light on the causes of death related to the coronavirus. Blood clots present in the pulmonary blood circulation are indeed here responsible for pulmonary embolism. Led by Axel Heinemann, the German researchers conducted a second study published in the journal Emerging Infectious diseases in January 2021. According to this new research, SARS-CoV-2 still replicates in the throats of deceased patients, and this, up to 35 hours after death.
These scientists performed autopsies on patients who tested positive for PCR between two and fourteen days before death. They performed throat swabs (nasopharyngeal tests) on no less than 79 bodies, on average 17 hours after death. According to the results, the SARS-CoV-2 RNA is present in a constant manner without the post-mortem duration having an influence. on the level of viral load. For the second part of the work, the researchers selected eleven bodies with a short post-mortem interval, that is to say the time between death and when the body reaches 4 ° C. After performing nasopharyngeal tests, the researchers also detected constant RNA levels. In the case of six patients, the virus even continued to replicate for up to 35 hours after death.
Risks concerning the treatment of the dead
The researchers explain that the coronavirus still remains infectious in patients for a long enough period without the viral load falling. In other words, Covid-19 can infect other individuals while handling bodies. Thus, they feel that it would be wise to set up a special protocol for the treatment of people who have died after infection with the virus.
All the same, let’s mention the limits of the study. First of all, this concerned a rather small sample. In addition, some patients had severe immunosuppression, yet unrelated to the coronavirus. So this may have influenced the results. However, the researchers said they plan to do more work, this time on patients with lower viral loads.
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