COVID-19 Resources

The AAPT have collated relevant COVID-19 resource information as below:

AAPT/RCPath 

Joint AAPT/RCPath Guidance – Transmission Based Precautions (Issued 19 March 2020)

RCPath Briefing on COVID-19 (February 2020)

Accredited Registers 

Accredited Registers Collective statement (6 March 2020)

CDC 

Centres for Disease Control & Prevention Guidance (2 December 2020)

Chief Coroner Guidance 

Chief Coroner's Guidance on COVID-19 (26 March 2020)

Chief Coroner's Guidance COVID-19 Deaths and possible exposure in the workplace (28 April 2020)

Dr Esther Youd 

SARS-CoV-2 and the autopsy - Dr Esther Youd YouTube video

ECDC 

ECDC - Considerations related to the safe handling of bodies of deceased
persons with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 (2020)

Gov.uk Guidance 

Guidance for care of the deceased with suspected or confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) (Updated 15 December 2021)

Infection Prevention and Control (21 December 2021)

Guidance for first responders and others in close contact with symptomatic people with potential COVID-19 (20 December 2021)

UK Government Response

Collection - Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for health professionals and other organisations

Health & Safety Executive

HSE Coronavirus Guidance

Health & Safety Executive: Managing infection risks when handling the deceased (See p.48 box: SARS)

Human Tissue Authority (HTA)

COVID-19 guidance from the Human Tissue Authority

National Bereavement Partnership 

National Bereavement Partnership COVID-19 Hub

NHS Guidance 

Operational guidance: vaccination of frontline health and social care workers (7 January 2021)

NHS Coronavirus information

Public Health England (PHE)

PHE - COVID-19 transmission from the,deceased: A rapid review (July 2021)

Journal Articles

Large COVID autopsy study finds SARS-CoV-2 all over the human body (2023 New Atlas)

Pathological Study of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) through Post-Mortem Core Biopsies (19 March 2020)

Autopsy in suspected COVID-19 cases (20 March 2020)

Management of the corpse with suspect, probable or confirmed COVID-19 respiratory infection – Italian interim recommendations (25 March 2020)

COVID-19 Autopsies Oklahoma (10 April 2020)

A technical report from the Italian SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. Postmortem
sampling and autopsy investigation in cases of suspected
or probable COVID-19 (24 April 2020)

Pulmonary and systemic involvement of COVID19 assessed by ultrasound guided minimally invasive autopsy (22 May 2020)

Review: The safe handling of a corpse (suspected) with COVID-19 (July 2020)

Tissue-specific tolerance in fatal Covid-19 (4 July 2020)

Histopathological findings and viral tropism in UK patients with severe fatal COVID-19: a post-mortem study (1 October 2020)

Undetectable SARS-CoV-2 in a nasopharyngeal swab but persistent viral RNA from deep lung swabs: findings from an autopsy (31 October 2020)

Cemetery planning, preparation and management during COVID-19: A quick guide to proper documentation and disposition of the dead (November 2020)

Autopsy in the time of COVID (7 January 2021)

Postmortem radiologic and pathologic findings in COVID-19: The Toronto experience with pre-hospitalization deaths in the community (May 2021)