tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Emerg Infect Dis
. 2024 Aug;30(8):1735-1737.
doi: 10.3201/eid3008.240145.
Infective SARS-CoV-2 in Skull Sawdust at Autopsy, Finland
Jonas N Kantonen, Suvi Kuivanen, Teemu Smura, Henri Puttonen, Eliisa Kekäläinen, Antti Sajantila, Liisa Myllykangas, Anu Kantele, Olli Vapalahti, Mikko I Mäyränpää, Olli Carpén
We assessed the distribution of SARS-CoV-2 at autopsy in 22 deceased persons with confirmed COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 was found by PCR (2/22, 9.1%) and by culture (1/22, 4.5%) in skull sawdust, suggesting that live virus is present in tissues postmortem, including bone. Occupational exposure risk is low with appropriate personal protective equipment.
Keywords: COVID-19; Finland; RT-PCR; SARS-CoV-2; autopsy; occupational exposure; respiratory aerosols and droplets; respiratory infections; skull; tissue distribution; viral culture; viruses; zoonoses.
. 2024 Aug;30(8):1735-1737.
doi: 10.3201/eid3008.240145.
Infective SARS-CoV-2 in Skull Sawdust at Autopsy, Finland
Jonas N Kantonen, Suvi Kuivanen, Teemu Smura, Henri Puttonen, Eliisa Kekäläinen, Antti Sajantila, Liisa Myllykangas, Anu Kantele, Olli Vapalahti, Mikko I Mäyränpää, Olli Carpén
- PMID: 39043418
- DOI: 10.3201/eid3008.240145
We assessed the distribution of SARS-CoV-2 at autopsy in 22 deceased persons with confirmed COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 was found by PCR (2/22, 9.1%) and by culture (1/22, 4.5%) in skull sawdust, suggesting that live virus is present in tissues postmortem, including bone. Occupational exposure risk is low with appropriate personal protective equipment.
Keywords: COVID-19; Finland; RT-PCR; SARS-CoV-2; autopsy; occupational exposure; respiratory aerosols and droplets; respiratory infections; skull; tissue distribution; viral culture; viruses; zoonoses.