271 Covid-related deaths in September; hospital struggles with autopsies

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With the death numbers rising, the Riga East Clinical University Hospital (RAKUS) hospital is no longer able to autopsy everyone who has died with Covid-19, Latvian Television reported October 3.

The hospital tries to autopsy people whose death was Covid-related to find out whether Covid-19 was the only cause of death or whether there were underlying illnesses. As the number of dead rises, autopsies are no longer carried out fully for everyone who died with suspected or approved Covid-19. Those over the age of 65 who have at least three co-morbidities shall not be autopsied.

“There were 271 dead together in September, of which 51 died at East Hospital. Of the 51 dead, we performed an autopsy on six. The process requires a month because there are specific molecular analyses, histological analyses,” explained Valdis Miķelsons, head of the RAKUS Pathology Center.

“As a general rule, if it is severe lung and kidney pathology, then Covid-19 is certainly the reason, especially for young people who don't have other side illnesses. If there is diabetes, neuropathy, cardiac cardiomyopathy, [..] then it is a side-cause. Covid-19 has contributed to this,” said Miķelsons.

 

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