BALTIMORE (AP) - Workers in Maryland’s funeral industry say they lack sufficient guidance and equipment as the death toll from the coronavirus begins to rise in the state.
The Baltimore Sun reported Friday that hundreds of people have been killed by the virus and many more expected.
People in the funeral business point out that they can be exposed to COVID-19 through dead bodies or the families of the dead.
Some funeral directors and crematory operators say they’re concerned about shortages of personal protective equipment for embalmers and other postmortem care workers.
The federal government has recommend that death care workers take precautions and wear protective equipment.
It’s unclear how long COVID-19 stays in the body after someone has died, said Dr. Natasha Chida, assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. But she said the likelihood of transmission is low given the days that often pass from someone’s death to an autopsy to arriving at a funeral home or crematory.
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