Researchers in Germany conducted autopsies on COVID-19 victims, revealing the virus persists in various organs up to five days post-mortem. Importantly, the low viral load indicates no transmission risk.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, remains detectable in the body after death. This finding comes from a study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine on May 6, 2020, led by forensic pathologists and pathologists from the Department of Forensic Medicine at University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany.
The research involved autopsies on 12 COVID-19 victims with a median age of 73 years. Teams used CT scans, histological analysis (tissue biopsies), and PCR testing to measure viral load across organs.
The primary cause of death was blood clots in the pulmonary circulation, consistent with known pulmonary embolism risks. Notably, COVID-19 RNA was detected in the lungs of every patient.
In nine patients, the virus was also found in the pharynx, liver, kidneys, and heart. For four patients, it appeared in the brain and saphenous vein (a leg vein).
While confirming post-mortem viral persistence, the study highlights no infection risk due to low viral concentrations below 4 × 104 copies/ml. As the first comprehensive analysis of its kind despite the small sample size, it provides valuable forensic insights.
Earlier, in April 2020, post-mortem presence was noted in reports, including a case in Bangkok where a deceased COVID-19 patient reportedly infected a medical examiner—though unconfirmed, it prompted strict handling protocols for bodies and samples.
A French pathologist at Raymond-Poincaré Hospital in Garches also performed autopsies, detecting the virus but emphasizing that post-mortem presence does not imply ongoing infectivity.
