Coronavirus: How dem dey bury pesin wey die with Covid-19

Dem don bury di late Chief of Staff to Nigeria President wey die wit Coronavirus on Friday, 17 April, 2020.

Dem bury Abba Kyari for Gudu Cemetery Abuja

Deaths from coronavirus across di world don change how many families dey bury dia loved ones, dat na if dem get to see di deadi body at all for one last time.

Most kontris don ban burials because of di coronavirus crisis sake of fear say family members fit catch di virus wen dem touch di deadi body or clothes of dia dead family member.

For Italy for example, many victims of Covid-19 dey die for hospital isolation without any family or friends. For Nigeria, dem no dey allow visits from family members to isolation centres according to di Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) oga, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu.

For most cases, pipo wey dey close to those wey die from di virus go also dey quarantine demsefs, so how dem go take bury di deadi body?

'We dey carry out safe burial'

BBC Pidgin ask di NCDC oga for interview on how dem dey bury pesin wey die from covid-19.

According to Dr Chikwe, "We go carry out safe burial and advise di family on what to do," na so im tok.

Im also say di NCDC get "clear guidelines" for di burial of any covid-19 positive patient even though im no reveal wetin di guidelines be.

But Massimo Mancastroppa wey be undertaker for Italy tell BBC how dem dey do am for dia.

Im tok say "We take on all responsibility, we send di loved ones photos of di coffin wey we go use bury, we go den take di deadi body from di hospital and na we go bury am or we burn (cremate) am. Di family no get choice but to trust us.

'We no fit dress di deadi body'

One of di hardest tin for Andrea Cerato wey dey work for mortuary for Milan, Italy na say im no fit do di work im dey usually do to deadi body.

"We no fit dress dem up, we no fit brush dia hair and we no fit wear dem make up. E dey very sad say we no fit make dem look nice and peaceful."

For Italy, for loved ones to even put flowers or personal items for di coffin of di deadi body now dey illegal.

Deadi body fit still carry di virus?

While health authorities say di virus no fit spread after di pesin don die, e fit still survive on clothes for few hours. Dis mean say dem dey cover di deadi body immediately.

Dr Chikwe tell us say dis disease, "dey different from wetin we know about Ebola and Lassa fever, we neva fully understand how pesin wey don die fit pass on di virus but we know say e no dey di same (with Ebola and Lassa fever).

"Di virus no dey spread through sweat di same way e dey happun with Ebola as na respiratory virus e be. Remember say we only don know about di virus for like four months and many tins still dey wey we dey learn," na so di NCDC oga tok.