With the amount of people dying from the coronavirus combined with normal deaths that occur daily, you might think that the Medical Examiners and funeral home industry might become overwhelmed, but that's not the case according to Gary Watts, President of the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners.
DENVER – America's long history of violent death – from car crashes and hurricanes to terror attacks and mass shootings – has left its coroners and funeral directors well-prepared for handling bodies that could stack up from the coronavirus outbreak, they say.
Unlike other disasters that strike within hours or days, the coronavirus outbreak is unfolding more slowly, allowing coroners and funeral homes across the country to prepare for a large number of deaths. Many experts have been watching in horror at the stories of how bodies have been handled in Italy, which has seen more than 7,500 deaths from the outbreak, starting in early March with a handful a day, but rising rapidly to more than 750 a day by early this week.
"We train for this kind of thing all the time," said Gary Watts, 63, president of the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...ws/2907512001/
It's heartening to know that when it becomes time for us to go six feet under in that horizontal phone booth or into the ash tray, they stand ready to get the job done right.
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