TY - JOUR T1 - ‘Test, test, test’ even after death: persistence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in postmortem nasopharyngeal swabs JF - Journal of Clinical Pathology JO - J Clin Pathol SP - 752 LP - 752 DO - 10.1136/jclinpath-2020-207091 VL - 74 IS - 11 AU - Kate El Bouzidi AU - Mark Howard AU - Hiam Ali AU - Mihir Khan AU - Andrew Harris AU - Mark Zuckerman Y1 - 2021/11/01 UR - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/74/11/752.abstract N2 - Over 57 00 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 in the UK.1–3 It is feared that the true figure is higher as there were over 16 000 ‘excess’ deaths between March and June 2020 in which COVID-19 was not a certified cause.1 4–6 Non-COVID causes, possibly related to the lockdown, would have accounted for some of this difference. However, the lack of community testing and challenges of performing autopsies7 mean that many COVID-19 deaths remain undetected.Missed infections represent lost opportunities on many levels. Incomplete mortality data underestimate the burden of disease, particularly in high-risk groups who may not seek medical care. Unrecognised COVID-19 deaths have serious public health implications and impede … ER -