The End of Life Accompanied by COVID-19: A Qualitative Study on Grief During the First OutBreak In Peru (Part I)

Abstract

Due to the massive deaths and high level of contagion brought about by COVID-19, burial practices and the way we bury our dead are being affected by SARS-CoV-2 confinement and control measures. Here, we aimed to examine the changing of death, dying, and mourning during the first wave and quarantine applied in Peru with the arrival of COVID-19 in 2020. Using a qualitative approach, 15 participants who lost a family member because of COVID-19 were interviewed by telephone and video call. Our results revealed that death in isolation, the loss of rituals, and the farewell to relatives have dramatically affected family members. Peruvian funeral practices were altered by health provisions, making it a challenge to accompany relatives at the end of life. This way of coping with death can affect family wellbeing, for which no interventions have yet been proposed to improve the quality of life during bereavement.