Bodies “pile up” in morgue as Iran feels strain of coronavirus
Workers in an Iranian morgue wear protective suits and masks as they walk among dozens of black bags containing dead bodies line up on the morgue's floor.
Footage from inside Qom's Behesht-e Masoumeh morgue in Iran was uploaded by CNN showed the dead on to floor while being sorted if who were infected by coronavirus and those who aren't.
One huge problem that Iran is currently facing after it got one of the worst coronavirus hits outside China is that, under Islamic tradition, corpses are usually washed with soap and water before burial. But due to the outbreak that has infected 3,500 Iranians and killed at least 107, precautions are placed by medical authorities preventing the observation of the Islamic tradition in burial.
Instead of soap and water, the bodies of those who died from COVID-19 or have been confirmed with coronavirus infection at the time of their deaths are being treated with calcium oxide which will prevent them from contaminating the soil once they are buried.
According to Ali Ramezani, director of the Behesht-e Masoumeh morgue, they are still testing some of the bodies for the viruses which usually takes time which in turn causes a delay in the burials and leading for the bodies to pile up in the morgue.
He further added that they are dealing with the handling of coronavirus victims and those who were not infected with the virus as the burial instructions are different. Also, he noted that some families prefer that the bodies stay in the morgue for one to two days until the results for the coronavirus tests come out.
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Moreover, Ramezani said that when the results for the bodies are negative, there is no need for them to be processed under the guideline set for COVID-19 victims and that the family of the deceased can bury the body wherever they want it buried.
The backlog of bodies in the morgue follows the rapid increase of COVID-19 cases in the country. Since Wednesday, there have been 591 new cases according to Kianush Jahanpour, spokesman of the Iranian Health Ministry last Thursday. He also noted that people are already recovering from the virus and at least 739 have already left the hospital after making full recovery.
Furthermore, it was announced by the health ministry that all 31 provinces of Iran have been infected by the virus. Iran's capital Tehran has the highest recorded number of cases which has reached 1,523. The country also has one of the highest death tolls outside mainland China.
Earlier this week, Iran has already banned Friday prayers in all centers of all provinces for the second consecutive week in efforts to control the COVID-19 outbreak. Schools and universities have been on lockdown, and the country has also canceled sporting events.
As of the moment, current data on the novel coronavirus shows that the virus has infected more than 97,000 people globally and has killed at least 3,300.
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