the funeral director Claus Madsen is walking around with an uncomfortable thought: Has he been infected with the coronavirus, and he wears in such a case, passing them on, when he visits hospitals, nursing homes and hospices?
the Answer, he knows not. And that is exactly the point. He considers, though, that the risk is certainly present, even if he did not have any visible symptoms.
“I will say that I likely has been in contact with someone who has been corona-infected,” he says.
Unlike health workers at hospitals, he is not been tested for coronavirusset.
The latest guidelines from the Danish Health and medicines authority dictates that certain employees in the health service must be tested if their supervisor finds it appropriate.
Claus Madsen, who is the owner of the Grindsted-Billund funeral home, which covers eight operations in Jutland and on Fyn are not covered by the rules, and therefore it is up to him to take the proper precautions.
however, It can be difficult when the sensitive work to deal with the relatives of a deceased person at the nearest requires a home visit.
“We will meet at the home of the people private. It is an expectation. It is also people, we have to do and not wood products,” he says.
Claus Madsen, tells, that, therefore, he goes around with a lump in the stomach’ because ‘we, as funeral services are vulnerable, when we are in such close contact with the dead and their relatives.’
His concern is shared by Rikke Frost from Frost Burials in the country.
“of Course I do. I think all funerals have the concern – and it is nasty to walk around with,” she says.
“We come home to the people, but we don’t want to.”
“It might be old mrs Hansen, who is confined to a wheelchair, and her visit we of course. She represents, potentially, a risk of infection to us, but we do it also for her,” says Rikke Frost.
it Stands to Claus Madsen, had far more therefore tested for coronaviruses.
“I think that any that die should be tested, like all the nearest relatives should be tested,” he says.
At Grindsted-Billund funeral home, Claus Madsen’s staff handled a single corona-deaths.
It happened, of course, with the greatest caution.
At the Odense university Hospital was the undertaker handed protective suits, mundbind and gloves, and the whole coffin was sprittet of.
in Addition, the relatives not be present at the chapel – yes, on the whole cadastre – because of the risk that they may carry the infection.
The deceased was taken directly to the crematorium.
But just as clear actions are against the corona, when the first infection is known as unclear is the when all the other deaths should be handled, even though the risk of infection is present.
Both Claus Madsen and Rikke Frost avoid giving the hand to the relatives and so far as possible, be done in touch over the phone or via Skype.
But the unpleasant gut feeling can not be removed with rubbing alcohol or tamed by keeping the distance.
Therefore, the undertaker, to ‘who should be tested much more, so we can get the uncertainty to life.”
