Abstract
Objective amidst the greatest health crisis in history triggered by COVID-19, this documental study was intended to understand the meanings individuals who have lost loved ones in this context assign to the phenomenon of suppressed funeral rituals.Method based on the theory of grief, the corpus of this study was composed of documents published in digital media containing personal writings and reports of experiences freely and easily available to the public. Two researchers with expertise in the field used inductive thematic analysis to interpret data.Results the experiences shared in the reports reflect the suffering experienced by the sudden death of a significant person, which is amplified by the absence or impediment to performing familial farewell rituals. The suppression or abbreviation of funeral rituals is a traumatic experience because family members are prevented from fulfilling their last homage to the loved one who has suddenly passed away, causing feelings of disbelief and indignation.Conclusion alternatives and new ways to celebrate passage rituals in emergencies of strong social commotion such as a pandemic are needed to provide support and comfort to family members, friends, and relatives. These rituals help survivors to overcome the critical moment, decreasing the risk of developing complicated grief.
Highlights
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on March 11th, 2020 that the COVID-19 outbreak, caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), characterized a pandemic situation[1,2]
Members mentioned that the impossibility of providing support to the family member at the time of the diagnosis, especially when the disease worsened, triggered suffering: COVID-19 arrived in my family
The contamination of one family member by COVID-19 is accompanied by surprise and perplexity, which aggravate distress because the fantasy of invulnerability is dismantled
Summary
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on March 11th, 2020 that the COVID-19 outbreak, caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), characterized a pandemic situation[1,2]. It is estimated that 80% of the infected individuals develop mild or moderate forms of the infection while 20% manifest the severe version of the disease. 5% manifest the most severe form, which can rapidly progress to severe acute respiratory syndrome and other complications that may lead to death[3]. The COVID-19 pandemic has demanded many aspects of the dying experience and its rituals to be reformulated in the Eastern and Western worlds[6]
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