From Ebola to COVID-19: Reshaping Funerals and Burial Rites in Africa?

The coronavirus health crises is really changing the way people say goodbye to their loved ones. This is because corpses of victims who died as a result COVID-19 disease are recognized to be highly infectious and contagious with a great risk of the virus being transmitted by direct contact with the dead bodies. Memorial services are not allowed to be carried out with the presence of the corpse that resulted from the disease. Safety precautions are needed by the funeral homes when working with the deceased body. Some communities especially in Africa find it difficult accepting the health guidelines stipulating burials as it involves breaking their customs and traditions as regards to burial rites. Proper communication and management is thus needed in communities as regards to the methods involved in handling corpses of victims from the COVID-19.The acceptance of safe medical burials of the deceased by communities is a major component in the fight against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic