“COVID-19 Mass Burials on Hart Island?”
With the thousands of bodies being buried at Hart Island in New York, the bodies are placed in body bags, placed in a pine box, then buried. Does the virus continue to live in those bags? In many cases, in other countries, the bodies are rolled into the ground without body bags. Does the virus continue to live and can it surface? Would it not be better for the bodies to be burned? I am unable to find any information on this topic. If you are unable to answer, can you suggest who I contact?
Thank you in advance,
Margaret
Thank you in advance,
Margaret
3 Answers
Viruses are primarily large complex collections of a few molecules; they are destroyed by chemical degradation, so they breakdown would be gradual. Outside of a living body on in a dead body, survival of the virus might be a week or two, similar to what how they survive on metal, plastic, cardboard etc.
The virus will not survive
I know of no specific studies of this, but extrapolating from what we know of SARS-Co2 it is unlikely to persist for long, regardless of how the bodies are buried.
G dickinson
G dickinson
