Special burial team for Covid-19 victims in Nghe An

Unforgettable days

It was past 3 p.m. on February 24, and Nguyen Ngoc Tan and Thai Hoang Long had not had lunch yet. They had just finished burying a Covid-19 victim in Hoang Mai Town and were on their way back to Vinh to continue receiving new victims, taking them to the crematorium in Ha Tinh. In the bitter cold and pouring rain, the only thing they had eaten since morning was a bowl of instant noodles made at the crematorium.

At the same time, Mr. Vu Hong Quang had just finished the embalming and processing of the body of a Covid-19 patient at Nghe An General Hospital. Because it was past lunchtime, he planned to combine lunch with dinner, although he was not sure when his dinner would take place. On duty 24/7, whenever there was a Covid-19 death, he would be there as quickly as possible to handle it.

A hearse reserved for patients who died from Covid-19. Photo: NVCC

They are members of the only "Covid-19 patient body handling team" in Nghe An province.

“On July 5, 2021, Nghe An had its first death from Covid-19. As a nursejoin the fight against the epidemicAt the positive area of ​​Nghe An General Hospital, I and another person were assigned to handle the patient's body. Before, the two of us had never done this task before, so we were shaking while doing it. The biggest worry was that incorrect operations and non-standard procedures would leave a risk of spreading the disease" - recalling the early days of establishment, Team Leader Nguyen Ngoc Tan said.

The waves and resurgence of the epidemic have caused the number of Covid-19 victims to increase gradually in the province. When Mr. Tan became proficient in his new task, the Covid-19 Patient Corpse Processing Team needed more members. The next members were Mr. Ngo The Luc from the Emergency Department (Nghe An General Hospital), Mr. Vu Hong Quang from the Provincial Forensic Center. In November 2021, when the team's work became overloaded, Mr. Thai Hoang Long and Mr. Nguyen Hai Truong from the General Disinfection Department of Nghe An General Hospital were added to this special team. When there were no deaths, they continued to undertake their professional duties.

Self-service meals are often served in the car or at the crematorium. Photo: NVCC

The sequential work of handling the bodies of Covid-19 patients is to receive the bodies of patients who died from Covid-19 in the treatment area or at home if they are community cases, wrap them tightly and then transfer them to the hospital funeral home. Here, the team members will clean them, change their clothes and proceed to embalm, disinfect them, and put them in specialized body bags. “For the elderly, we wear longevity clothes, and for the young, we wear regular clothes. This is also the most dangerous step, with the highest risk of infection. The entire embalming and handling process must comply with extremely strict requirements on disease prevention and control for workers and the surrounding environment. After being sealed, the coffins will be transferred by the members to the crematorium in Ha Tinh and after the cremation, the team will bring the ashes back to the victim's family," said Mr. Tan.

In recent days, as the epidemic has become more serious and the number of deaths has increased, the team's work has become more stressful than ever. In a tight protective suit, through a mask and a water-soaked anti-droplet shield, Mr. Long said breathlessly: "There are days when the whole team of 5 people handles up to 11 deaths, including 1 community case. During those 24 hours, we have no concept of day, night, morning, or evening, only corpses, embalming processes, and vehicle trips, continuously and continuously."

The fragile boundary and the torment of "the end of meaning"

The funeral car of the Covid-19 Patient Handling Team is divided in half by a white partition. On one side of the partition is the space to place the coffin of the deceased. On the other side of the partition is the cockpit connected to a part of the car used to place cremated remains and essential items.

A truck carrying many remains on a peak day. Photo: NVCC

During peak days, the hearse transporting Covid-19 victims became a mobile “room” for the team members. “Because no shop ‘dared’ to sell to us, we brought kettles and food. There were also mattresses on the car for the crew to take turns driving and take a nap on the way,” Tan explained. So this unique “room” became the place for short naps, quick self-service meals with instant noodles and dry rations, exhaustion and unnameable emotions…

The space between death and life is less than a hand's breadth.

“Before taking on this task, I only did normal disinfection work. Everything was so new to me, challenging both physically and mentally. I will never forget the feeling every time I entered thetreatment area for severe Covid-19 patients. The sound of machines, the panting, the anxious eyes... Most of them were elderly people, they were yearning to live, to return to their families, to be with their children and grandchildren... Life is so fragile. In this fight for life, I don't want to have to step in to say goodbye to anyone" - member Thai Hoang Long was moved.

Quick meal on the way to duty. Photo: PV

As an employee of the provincial Forensic Center, Vu Hong Quang is used to working with corpses, but he still cannot get used to the pain of his new task. He said: "I have witnessed quiet, simple deaths without any relatives by their side. From the moment of the last breath until the burial, the victim's family can only review the images on their phones." This is also the reason why the team members' phones keep many photos and videos recording the process of handling the victim's body to send to relatives and families.

During the 8 months of being away from home on duty, Captain Nguyen Ngoc Tan probably witnessed more pain and experienced more loss than anyone else. Because, during that time, his father died of a heart attack but he could not return home for the funeral. Shocked, in pain, with his mission not yet completed, he could only suppress his emotions, pray and quietly continue his work: Arranging funerals for those who were not relatives.

Team members on behalf of their families burn incense for victims who died from Covid-19 during the 2022 Lunar New Year. Photo: NVCC

In many cases, families are worried about the risk of Covid-19 infection, so they ask the team to take them straight to the cemetery and directly carry out the burial. “The duty of the dead is to pay their respects”, so they become “reluctant” shamans, researching online to take on tasks such as preparing offerings, burning incense, reading prayers, etc.

“What can I do? During the pandemic, the pain of a loved one passing away but not being able to be by their side is a common pain for many people, regardless of who they are, what they do, or where they are. Having experienced it and witnessed it myself, I can only try to do my best to comfort the living, to be complete with the deceased, and to feel relieved myself. Now I just hope that the pandemic will pass and life will soon return to normal as before,” Tan confided.