Detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA by PCR in a series of corpses sent for autopsy

D’Addario, Adriana C.; Bustos, Cristina A.; Cohen, Roberto V.; Rullán Corna, Alejandro F.; Gómez, Patricia E.; Torrisi, Rubén H.; Di Salvo, Héctor; Herbstein, Jorge A.; Remes Lenicov, Federico; Maffia Bizzozero, Santiago

Following the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in the world, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, affecting 185 countries. There have been numerous scientific publications presenting epidemiological, clinical, statistical, and microbiological data. The high mortality has implied the need for increasingly accurate data regarding the virus and its behaviour in the environment and, on the other hand, faced health teams with a serious problem in relation to the safe handling of corpses and the risks of transmission that this implies. The objective of this study was to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in corpses sent to the National Judicial Morgue that were not included in the definition of a suspected case submitted by the Argentine Ministry of Health. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs were taken from 101 cadavers chosen randomly and based on inclusion criteria for detection of viral RNA using the RT-PCR technique. Of the cadavers included in the study, 16.8%, not classified as suspected cases of COVID-19, were tested for the presence of viral RNA in the samples collected.