Is the role of forensic medicine in the covid-19 pandemic underestimated?

We believe that forensic medicine should play a significant role in the COVID-19 pandemic. Forensic pathologists should ask and answer various questions through autopsy cases during the COVID-19 period, thus providing a significant contribution to science. Some of the potential roles of forensic medicine in this issue include: determining the exact cause of death among the deceased who were SARS-CoV-2 positive, contribution to the accuracy of mortality statistics, understanding pathological mechanisms of COVID-19, tracking the presence of the virus over time, survival of the virus after death as well as dealing with medicolegal issues. A detailed multidisciplinary analysis of autopsy samples would undoubtedly help understand this new illness and its clinical management. Therefore, autopsies during the COVID-19 pandemic should not be an exception, but certainly a rule.

Automated summary

Forensic medicine should play a significant role in the COVID-19 pandemic by conducting autopsies to determine causes of death, contribute to accuracy of mortality statistics, and provide insights into pathological mechanisms. Detailed multidisciplinary analysis of autopsy samples would help better understand the new illness and its clinical management. Conducting autopsies during the pandemic should be a rule rather than an exception.