From Ebola to COVID-19: Reshaping Funerals and Burial Rites in Africa?
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Date
2020
Authors
Teh, Exodus Akwa
Maingi, John M
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Healthcare Communications
Abstract
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 recognised 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.
Description
A research article published in Journal of Healthcare Communications
Keywords
Safe burials, Communication, Local communities, COVID-19
Citation
Akwa TE (2020) From Ebola to COVID-19: Reshaping Funerals and Burial Rites in Africa?. J Health Commun Vol.5 No.3: 7.