A national shortage of body bags is disrupting the work of funeral directors across the country, raising difficult questions about how to maintain the dignity of the deceased and reduce workers’ concerns about potential exposure to the coronavirus.
The shortage of body bags is a grim reminder of the pandemic’s mounting death toll. More than 81,000 Americans have died of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Because of the short supply, body bags are sometimes reused two or three times. Sometimes when a body bag is unavailable, the deceased person is wrapped in sheets and a mask is placed on the face. Continue reading.