Esposito Massimiliano, Salerno Monica, Scoto Edmondo, Di Nunno Nunzio, Sessa Francesco
Department of Medical, Surgical and Advanced Technologies "G.F. Ingrassia", University of Catania, 95121 Catania, Italy.
Department of History, Society and Studies on Humanity, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
Healthcare (Basel). 2022 Feb 8;10(2):319. doi: 10.3390/healthcare10020319.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, forensic sciences, on the one hand, contributed to gaining knowledge about different aspects of the pandemic, while on the other hand, forensic professionals were called on to quickly adapt their activities to respond adequately to the changes imposed by the pandemic. This review aims to clarify the state of the art in forensic medicine at the time of COVID-19, discussing the following: the influence of external factors on forensic activities, the impact of autopsy practice on COVID-19 and vice-versa, the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in post-mortem samples, forensic personnel activities during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the global vaccination program and forensic sciences, forensic undergraduate education during and after the imposed COVID-19 lockdown, and the medico-legal implications in medical malpractice claims during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly influenced different aspects of human life, and, accordingly, the practical activities of forensic sciences that are defined as multidisciplinary, involving different expertise. Indeed, the activities are very different, including crime scene investigation (CSI), external examination, autopsy, and genetic and toxicological examinations of tissues and/or biological fluids. At the same time, forensic professionals may have direct contact with subjects in life, such as in the case of abuse victims (in some cases involving children), collecting biological samples from suspects, or visiting subjects in the case of physical examinations. In this scenario, forensic professionals are called on to implement methods to prevent the SARS-CoV-2 infection risk, wearing adequate PPE, and working in environments with a reduced risk of infection. Consequently, in the pandemic era, the costs involved for forensic sciences were substantially increased.
在新冠疫情期间，法医学一方面有助于人们了解疫情的不同方面，另一方面，法医专业人员被要求迅速调整其工作，以充分应对疫情带来的变化。本综述旨在阐明新冠疫情时期法医学的现状，讨论以下内容：外部因素对法医活动的影响、尸检实践对新冠疫情的影响以及反之亦然、新冠病毒RNA在死后样本中的持久性、新冠疫情期间法医人员的活动、全球疫苗接种计划与法医学、新冠疫情封锁期间及之后的法医学本科教育，以及新冠疫情期间医疗事故索赔中的法医学法律问题。新冠疫情对人类生活的不同方面产生了重大影响，相应地，法医学的实践活动也受到影响，法医学被定义为多学科领域，涉及不同的专业知识。事实上，这些活动差异很大，包括犯罪现场调查、外部检查、尸检以及对组织和/或生物体液的基因和毒理学检查。同时，法医专业人员可能会在生活中与对象直接接触，例如虐待受害者（某些情况下涉及儿童）、从嫌疑人处采集生物样本，或在进行身体检查时探访对象。在这种情况下，法医专业人员被要求采取措施预防新冠病毒感染风险，穿戴适当的个人防护装备，并在感染风险较低的环境中工作。因此，在疫情时代，法医学所涉及的成本大幅增加。
