Buenos Aires City: A/H1N1 cremation ordinance

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.larazon.com.ar/notas/2009.../01959109.html

Google translation:

ORDINANCE WAS PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL BULLETIN
In the city, the dead of influenza A to be cremated "immediately"
This is determined by the Government of Buenos Aires. Is to "preserve the health of the population and prevent the spread of the disease." Furthermore, the bodies of the deceased will be removed "from the place of death" and put them in green bags. "
The Buenos Aires government ordered that all persons killed by the influenza virus A (H1N1) are veiled and cremated drawer closed "immediately" to "preserve the health of the population and prevent the spread of the disease, it was learned today.

In an order published in the Official Gazette of the City, the General Directorate of Cemeteries provided, further, that the funeral services companies must remove the bodies of the dead "in the place of death" and put "eco bags" and then introduce them into the coffins.

Resolution 93, which has four items, that "all the dead whose cause of death originates or is the result of the virus that causes influenza A" paid for the crematorium, where they should be immediately cremated.

In addition, ordered the house wakes and funeral services that the bodies be "a veiled drawer closed" because the disease is "a steady increase," according to the Ministry of Health of Buenos Aires as "the high transmissibility of the virus .

In this sense, the rule said that the death of a person influenza A "subsists for a period of several hours."

Only one remedy may prevent the realization of the provisions in the resolution of the General Cemetery, signed on July 6 last. The provision cited statements by the director of the World Health Organization (WHO), Margaret Chan, in which days ago warned that the spread of the virus complicate the situation in regions with poor health and with a high prevalence of underlying medical problems. "

The text also stressed that the July 2 the head of government of Buenos Aires, Mauricio Macri, has signed a decree which stated "the Health Emergency in the City until December 31, 2009."

The resolution stated that according to information provided by the Ministry of Health of Buenos Aires, the numbers affected in the City and the metropolitan area has seen recently, a steady increase, "and also mentions" the high transmissibility of virus. "

"In this situation becomes imperative to proceed with the utmost speed to ensure a coordinated and effective action across the Health System of the City of Buenos Aires and a maximum utilization of the resources needed to confront the epidemic," explained the provision.

The decision to apply "security measures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in the population, based on Order No. 27590 signed in 1973 and that specifically regulate how they should act in similar cases.

An article in this provision were the cases where it is "mandatory cremation of dead bodies," and include "pestilential diseases, or as a result of major epidemics by the Undersecretary of State for Public Health of the Nation .

"The case of influenza A (H1N1) is a normative reality" of this kind, considered the government of Buenos Aires.

The mandatory nature of the cremation will be used in people who have died in hospitals for infectious diseases, provided there is no formal opposition, valid and legal "to do so.

The order added that "the merits of cremation is given under the care or protection of public health."

[colormyquilt]

Re: Buenos Aires City: A/H1N1 cremation ordinance

Source: http://www.larazon.com.ar/notas/2009.../01959109.html

Google translation:

In an order published in the Official Gazette of the City,

Resolution 93...The provision cited statements by the director of the World Health Organization (WHO), Margaret Chan, in which days ago warned that the spread of the virus complicate the situation in regions with poor health and with a high prevalence of underlying medical problems. "

a decree which stated "the Health Emergency in the City until December 31, 2009."

based on Order No. 27590 signed in 1973
it is "mandatory cremation of dead bodies," and include "pestilential diseases, or as a result of major epidemics

The order added that "the merits of cremation is given under the care or protection of public health."

In less than three months, we have gone from tracking cases traveling back/ forth US and Mexico. Then, our first death in Texas, our first death in New York. We watched as it slowly began surfacing in Europe.

And now, today, this post regarding mandatory cremation in Argentina for those who have died from this virus.

This immediately brought to mind...the father of a close friend was eighteen years old and living in Philadelphia when the 1918 pandemic hit that city in early fall. My friend remembers hearing him tell of having to go out with others and having to dig trenches in which to place the bodies of those who had died...there were so many people dying and dying so fast, there was not space or time for "regular burial."

We need to be prepared physically with food and water and medicines and all those things so that when the time comes that we are confronted with the horrors that can come with a pandemic, we know that we have done the very best we could do. And somehow, in some way, this will sustain us mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

[Laidback Al]

Re: Buenos Aires City: A/H1N1 cremation ordinance

In less than three months, we have gone from tracking cases traveling back/ forth US and Mexico. Then, our first death in Texas, our first death in New York. We watched as it slowly began surfacing in Europe.

And now, today, this post regarding mandatory cremation in Argentina for those who have died from this virus.

The trajectory of this pandemic is clear, especially to the posters and readers here at FT. It is unfortunate that world wide public health officials have not sounded the alarm in a clear fashion and that the mass media has yet to pay attention to the coming wave.

[tropical]

Re: Buenos Aires City: A/H1N1 cremation ordinance

#1: "Order given ... protection of public health ..."


Where was this protection (not only Arg.), when in the best interest of all the humankind, in the early pandemic surge days (mex.),
in the best interest of public health protection, was neccessary to issue an international order of grounding plains, closing borders, quarantining and applaying antiviral blankets in the quarantined hotzones?

Now the "protection" is the cremation, at the same time when no air and border traffic closures are not applying anywhere?

The madness of economy.

Obviously such an order could be readed on as an grimm premonition of what will happens in the future!

Nobody starts cremations if there will be not aspected huge deaths in the near future.

Did any country ordered mandatory cremations for yearly deaths related to seasonal flus?
Nobody.

That's an early warning of the very bad situations coming at the fields.

Maybe Argentina/... virus IS changed now ...

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Buenos Aires City: A/H1N1 cremation ordinance

This order may relate more to the traditions of argentine funerals. Unfortunately, traditional activities may spread the disease and need to be temporarily discontinued.

From post#64 here: http://forum.wordreference.com/showt...=484796&page=4

Funerals in Brazil usually take place between 24 to 36 hours after the death. The wake generally occurs at the house of dead person's family, unless the house is too small or they live in an apartment, and the casket remains open most of the times, except in cases where the body is injured due to a traumatic death or deformed/emaciated by a long illness. The house is cleared of most furniture to accommodate the mourners, and decorated with flowers. The family receives many flower wreaths with banners on which is written a message and the name of the family who sent it. Candles are also lit by the casket, generally two or four, and they burn throughout the wake until the casket is taken away --it's a catholic tradition, but actually even non-catholics light candles at wakes in Brazil. Most families will take religious icons to the room where the dead body is being mourned: images of the Virgem Maria and the Crucifix are the most commonly seen in such occasions. There usually isn't a lot of eating and drinking, but people are always served coffee, tea, water and light refreshments, often provided by the neighbours if the family doesn't have servants. The saddest time at a wake is when the casket is closed to be taken away from the family home to the church --it's when people realize that their loved one is going for good. As the casket is being closed, mourners sometimes sing farewell religious hymns. It's not uncommon for relatives and close friends to cry profusely at this moment. In small towns the casket is taken to the church in a kind of procession; young male members of the family and friends take turns carrying it. As the procession leaves the family's house, the church bells toll and shopkeepers shut their doors as it passes the street (it is considered a major insult to the family if a shopkeeper maintains the doors of his shop open as a funeral procession passes by). Once inside the church, the casket is opened once more for the last funerary rites (the Requiem Mass), which take but a few minutes.

.

[tropical]

Re: Buenos Aires City: A/H1N1 cremation ordinance

#5:...

Such practice is not an Argentina exclusivity,

and if this practice is the reason, than it will be already introducted previous years if the numbers of victims simulate the near numbers of seasonal flu victims.

This must be a result of an increase in aspected deaths;

or a result of fears from an throughout local surfaces contamination, which seems to not be supported by leaving huge numbers of passengers roaming through international plain hubs and airplains until now, and STIL now;

or driven by an near future surge of infected people prospection, or by viral changes fears.

[wotan]

Re: Buenos Aires City: A/H1N1 cremation ordinance

I don't know that those are terribly different funeral practices from what is common in, for instance, the US. Cremation is fairly rare here, and we tend to have open casket funerals so long as embalming is successful (my grandfather died 15 or so years ago and they weren't successful embalming him for reasons I won't go into) and there is no noticeable trauma. Now instead of housing the body in someone's house we typically use someplace like a funeral home, but you still can have large numbers of people in close proximity to the body.

I'm more concerned with, are the reports of more deaths than acknowledged true, and this is a back-handed way of acknowledging that.

[Treyfish]

Re: Buenos Aires City: A/H1N1 cremation ordinance

Special measures for the handling of bodies
next Saturday July 11, 2009 |


The contingency plan prepared by the Ministry of Health of the Nation argues that the recommendations for the burial of corpses do not differ from the measures provided for those who die from other causes infectious.

"Able to carry out the burial or cremation, must respect the local laws and regulations regarding the handling of corpses, described in the text that had access THE NATION.

Furthermore, it adds that "the transportation of bodies from the morgue and to be implemented in high-density plastic bag, waterproof and airtight seal, duly identified as the infectious material.

Moreover, a paper on influenza virus A (H1N1) of the Infectious Diseases Society of Argentina, the Argentine Society of Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases of the National Committee on the handling of corpses, never recommended cremation. Instead, it provides:


Health care workers should wear masks, goggles, camisol?n raincoat, gloves, hat and boots resistant and easy to wash. Then [the dress] will be removed and will be carried out hand hygiene.


Prepare the body to be then placed in red bag or zipped closed.


Standard precautions are used for washing and preparing the body for autopsy and completion of transfer to the mortuary service.


The body should be moved to a room temperature -3 ? C + / -2 ? C.


For deceased persons confirmed or suspected influenza A virus (H1N1), considering the limited contact of family members with the body.


Direct contact with the body is inadvisable. However, if this could happen, we recommend washing hands with soap and water immediately.


The transport of deceased persons not require any extra precaution when the body has been secured for transport. Hand hygiene should be performed after completion of the transfer.http://www.lanacion.com.ar/nota.asp?nota_id=1149337