Two cadavers of patients who died from the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) were dissected on February 16 at Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital in China, which are the first dissections made to study this disease. Understanding COVID-19 through dissections could significantly help clinical treatments.

Liu Liang, forensic specialist at the Tongji Medical College in Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and his team submitted an urgent report to relevant departments as early as January 22, which called for the dissections of cadavers with COVID-19.

Why weren't  the dissections of the cadavers conducted until February 16?

'They contributed their bodies to pave the way for healthy people'

Liu said in a CCTV interview that they had to get the permission from the bereaved before the operation.

"We weren't be able to meet the bereaved and talk to them at the hospital under this special circumstance (outbreak), and telephone contact cannot be counted as evidence… it was very hard to contact them," Liu said, adding that he was very anxious while waiting for the replies because patients were dying.

In the afternoon of February 15, Liu received the notice that there were family members who agreed to donate their loved ones' cadavers for dissections.

Liu and his team spent nearly three hours to complete the first dissection.

"Everyone in the room took a bow spontaneously before the dissection," he said. "They (deceased patients) contributed their bodies to pave the way for healthy people."

Special operating room

In order to prevent cross-contamination, the dissections of bodies of infectious disease like COVID-19 must be operated in negative pressure operating rooms.

"We only have negative pressure labs in China, but not operating rooms," Liu explained.

Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital agreed on February 15 to provide an operating room for Liu's team to conduct the dissections. The room is suitable for the dissections because it has the function of negative pressure, and it's small and sealed, Liu told CCTV.

Before the operation, Liu and his team cleaned out everything that was unnecessary. 

"We worked very carefully to not to cause any contamination to the air, the ground, and the drain," Liu said, stressing that their protection level is higher than regular dissections. "We put on three layers of gloves, two layers of masks, two to three layers of hats, plus protection suits and goggles."

The results of the dissections have been sent for inspection in the hope to provide the pathology of COVID-19 for further treatment of patients.

"We have been discussing the preliminary findings and will send them to the frontline doctors in the next couple of days," Liu said.