Coronavirus won’t be present after 4 to 6 hours of death: official

Cremation of such persons should not be obstructed, says Jawahar Reddy

Special Chief Secretary (Health, Medical and Family Welfare) K.S. Jawahar Reddy said the bodies of patients who died of COVID-19 would not have the harmful virus after four to six hours of their death. He suggested that the cremation of such persons should not be obstructed.

He said coronavirus infection could be prevented if people wore masks, maintained a physical distance of six feet and did handwash frequently.

Addressing media persons here on Friday, Mr. Jawahar Reddy said since March 9 when the first COVID-19 case was registered, the number had reached 16,934 on July 3 as testing had been scaled up (so far 9.70 lakh persons were screened).

Home quarantine

A total of 15 government laboratories and five private ones were functioning now. Home quarantine was being allowed in cases where the infection was mild subject to the condition that there should be no elders and children in the house.

Mr. Jawahar Reddy said the number of cases had gone up after the lockdown was eased. In the present scenario, if COVID-19 was to be kept under check, people should protect themselves while the government played its part to the extent possible. Random testing would be continued to ensure proper surveillance and necessary remedial action, he added.