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It is currently thought that SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, is spread primarily from person-to-person through respiratory droplets (e.g. coughing, sneezing). Transmission may also occur via contact with contaminated surfaces, as the virus is estimated to survive for hours to days on different materialsFootnote1. It is not yet known how long the virus will survive on human tissue.

Immediately after death, before the body has been prepared by funeral services, and during the funeral service, family and friends should be advised not to kiss or touch the body if it was known or suspected that the deceased was infected with COVID-19 based on testing, fever, or respiratory symptoms. In jurisdictions where there are known to be high levels of community transmission, it would be prudent to avoid touching or kissing the body of any recently deceased person because of the risk of pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic transmission. Proper hand hygiene should be performed if the body is touched.  

When a death occurs in a remote and isolated community, bodies may sometimes be kept in family homes immediately following death. If untouched, these bodies are not a transmission risk to others.  In some cases, the body will later be moved by community members in situations where other funeral service personnel are not available. Direct contact should be avoided unless absolutely necessary, and communities should refer to this document for information on best practices for safely transporting and handling dead bodies.  Further advice on burial by family members or for deaths at home can be found in the World Health Organization’s Infection Prevention and Control for the safe management of a dead body in the context of COVID-19. Note that the Public Health Agency of Canada recommends a 2 metre distance for those observing the preparation of the body, greater than the minimum suggested by the World Health Organization. However, if the deceased was not suspected to have COVID-19, and was not at a high risk of exposure to COVID-19, such precautions are not necessary unless local public health advises that there are high levels of community transmission.

Cultural or religious considerations

A number of religious and ethnic groups have specific directives about how bodies are managed after death. Indigenous Peoples, and people of the Jewish, Hindu, and Muslim faiths all have specific directives for the treatment of bodies and for funerals, and these needs should be accommodated as much as possible if the health and safety of the community can be assured. Religious leaders should be involved in planning for funeral management to ensure that funeral ceremonies continue to be culturally and religiously appropriate. Religious or cultural leaders should also be engaged for bereavement counselling and communications, particularly in ethnic communities with large numbers of people who may speak a variety of languages. Advice on burial by family members or for deaths at home, found in the World Health Organization’s Infection Prevention and Control for the safe management of a dead body in the context of COVID-19, contains guidance that would be useful in this context. Note that the Public Health Agency of Canada recommends a 2 metre distance for those observing the preparation of the body, greater than the minimum suggested by the World Health Organization.


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