Use of minimally invasive autopsy during the COVID-19 pandemic and its possibilities in the context of developing countries

In this scenario, despite the advances in diagnostic methods in recent decades, a well-performed autopsy remains the gold standard methodology for diagnosing the cause of death [4]. Cultural barriers and the reluctance of families to provide informed consent are additional factors contributing to the decline in autopsy numbers. [...]due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some countries have decided not to allow complete autopsies, which limits the proper investigation of the disease pathophysiology and the death confirmations that were not diagnosed during clinical evolution [11]. [...]although verbal autopsy provides a broad approach, its performance for etiological diagnosis is still limited, as it may misclassify some deaths caused by infectious diseases [13]. [...]the minimally invasive autopsy (MIA) has emerged as an innovative strategy. Specifically, in the case of COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to being efficient in establishing the diagnosis of infections, it is a method that offers more safety to the professionals and can be performed with the body closed and surrounded by a plastic cover.