• Decisions on the final disposal of bodies and human remains infected with COVID-19 will vary according to local, cultural and religious context, for which there may be a need to consult with relevant stakeholders, particularly religious representatives, to ensure that changes to standard practice are acceptable. Transparent conversation with such societal leaders is likely to be essential to sustain trust between authorities and the community.
• If final disposal is to take place off-site, human remains should be placed in a second outer body bag. (If the human remains have already been double-bagged, the outer bag should be removed and replaced with a new outer bag). This outer bag should be thoroughly disinfected prior to release from the site.
• Cremation of unidentified human remains should be avoided, and burial in single graves is the preferred method of disposal [5], but care must be taken to ensure that run-off from the decomposing human remains is managed so as not to contaminate ground water. Bodies should be buried in their respective body bags, regardless of the use of coffins. This will help in their future recovery and examination if necessary (e.g. identification) as well as taking care of the disposal of the body bags.
• Personal belongings of the deceased infected with COVID-19 may present a cross contamination hazard. Consideration should be given to decontamination of such possessions prior to handing them over to the next of kin to avoid the spread of contamination and associated risks to health. Where it is not possible to decontaminate possessions, careful consideration must be given as to whether it is appropriate to hand such possessions to the next of kin or whether they should be stored for later safe release. If a decision is made to dispose of such objects as contaminated waste, they should be duly documented, together with a justification for this procedure.