Man died after catching Covid-19 from dead patient in Thailand

A Thailand medical examiner  died after catching coronavirus from a dead patient.

The forensic worker was infected in Bangkok which is the first such case anywhere in the world, scientists suspect, reported Daily Mail.

Researchers warned in a letter published in the Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine that forensic workers would have to guard themselves against infection.  

Health organisations such as the WHO have urged people handling dead bodies to be careful because it is still not fully understood how the virus spreads.  

The researchers wrote their letter on March 20, when most of Thailand's cases were imported and there were few signs of the virus spreading in the community, they said. 

The forensic practitioner in question was one of only two medical workers who had caught the disease in Thailand at the time, the scientists say.   

Therefore, they said there was a "low chance"  that the medical examiner would have come into contact with a living virus patient. 

However, the person would have had contact with dead bodies - suggesting that was the source of infection. 

The letter highlighting the medical examiner's case was sent by Won Sriwijitalai of the RVT Medical Center in Bangkok and Viroj Wiwanitkit of Dr DY Patil University in Pune, India. 

"At present, there is no data on the exact number of COVID-19 contaminated corpses' because they are not routinely checked, the two scientists said. 

"Nevertheless, infection control and universal precautions are necessary. 

"Forensic professionals have to wear protective devices including a protective suit, gloves, goggles, cap and mask. 

"The disinfection procedure used in operation rooms might be applied in pathology/forensic units too."

The researchers say that "according  to our best knowledge"  it is the first such case anywhere in the world.