The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on forensic pathology services in Limpopo province, South Africa
Background: To evaluate the effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the preventative measures taken, especially how they affect forensic pathology services in rural South Africa. Methods: This retrospective analysis includes referred post-mortem cases from all forensic pathology services...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
AOSIS
2025-01-01
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| Series: | South African Family Practice |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://safpj.co.za/index.php/safpj/article/view/6038 |
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| Summary: | Background: To evaluate the effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the preventative measures taken, especially how they affect forensic pathology services in rural South Africa.
Methods: This retrospective analysis includes referred post-mortem cases from all forensic pathology services in Limpopo province, comparing the period before the COVID-19 pandemic (01 January 2019 to 31 December 2019) with the pandemic period (01 January 2020 to 31 December 2020). Data analysis was performed using STATA 16.0 software (StataCorp; College Station, TX). Chi-square test was employed for comparison, with a p-value 0.05 deemed statistically significant.
Results: Approximately 9319 cases were submitted for post-mortem examinations, with 4857 occurring before the pandemic and 4462 during it, marking an 8.1% decrease. There was a decrease in the number of unnatural death cases, while the instances of natural deaths rose. Cases under investigation saw a notable increase. There was a marked decrease in referrals for forensic examinations across all districts. In addition, except for one facility, there was a decline in the number of cases sent for autopsies at all facilities.
Conclusion: In conclusion, forensic pathology services in this province had been severely disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak and the lockdown that followed, especially in the tertiary hospital. It has led to new challenges for case management and necessitated changes to operating procedures.
Contribution: It has required modifications to operational procedures and has introduced various challenges in case management. |
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| ISSN: | 2078-6190 2078-6204 |