'Loved ones, not numbers': Inside a British funeral business as COVID deaths surge

[snoop1130]

'Loved ones, not numbers': Inside a British funeral business as COVID deaths surge

By Andrew R.C. Marshall

 

Friends and relatives of Eileen Anderson, who died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pay their respects during her funeral service in the chapel at Beckenham Crematorium, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, in south east London, Britain, January 29, 2021. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

 

LONDON (Reuters) - It was a normal busy winter for British funeral director Matthew Uden until the second week of January. “Then it was like someone flicked a switch,” he said.

 

As Britain’s COVID-19 death toll surged into six figures, the phones at W. Uden & Sons, his family’s business in south London, started ringing almost non-stop.

 

Uden & Sons usually arranges about 10 funerals a day during the winter. Now it is doing 15 or 16, with dozens more bodies awaiting collection from hospitals and care homes.

 

With the deceased arriving faster than they can be cremated or buried, the company’s own mortuaries are packed with coffins, many pinned with a sign: “COVID-19 - TAKE PRECAUTIONS.”

 

Britain has recorded more COVID-19 deaths per capita than any other country, but Matthew Uden said he refused to be numbed by the escalating toll.

 

“These are people’s loved ones, they’re not numbers,” he said. “No matter how busy we are, everyone is treated with the same dignity and respect.”

 

Staff at funeral homes play vital roles in the battle against the pandemic, but often get less recognition than doctors, nurses and other frontline workers.

 

Britain’s funeral directors arranged around 90,000 more funerals in 2020 than in recent years, according to the National Association of Funeral Directors, a leading trade association.

 

“In terms of 2021 (funerals), we’re currently about 30 percent up on a normal January/February,” said Deborah Smith, the association’s spokeswoman.

 

Reuters spent a day at Uden & Sons, where staff provided a rare window into love, death and grieving in the time of coronavirus, even as they worked long hours to keep up with the march of the dead.

 

The company was founded in Victorian times, when London endured regular epidemics of smallpox and cholera. Today, it has seven branches in the capital and the neighbouring county of Kent, where a deadlier and more transmissible variant of coronavirus emerged late last year.

 

On the Thursday when Reuters visited, the company’s bearers carefully loaded coffins onto hearses parked outside its various branches.

 

On the same day, at the back of the shops, 19 bodies arrived from hospitals and care homes, and another three were collected overnight.

 

During the pandemic’s first wave last spring, Uden said it took a week and a half to arrange a funeral. Now, families had to wait four or five weeks, as mortuary and registry staff struggled to process the sheer volume of deaths.

 

The company already has 130 funerals booked for February, among them an unusual number of “double funerals,” of husbands and wives who die around the same time.

 

Before the pandemic, they arranged about nine such funerals in a year. Now, they have nine in the next month alone. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Uden.

 

One couple had been married for over 50 years and died of COVID-19 within an hour of each other, he said.

 

SAYING GOODBYE

 

None of Uden’s staff have caught the virus, which he credits to extra precautions the company has taken. All vehicles are sanitised between funerals, and the limousines have screens to separate driver and passengers.

 

In the mortuary, embalmer Mary Evans wears heavy duty personal protective equipment as she prepares the body of elderly COVID victim, and doesn’t move the body more than necessary in case the lungs expel infected air droplets.

 

“When we see a deceased who has died from COVID and been very severely ill, it isn’t very nice,” said Evans. She said her work allowed families to “see their loved ones at rest, looking as peaceful as they can.”

 

Funeral workers are accustomed to death, but the pandemic had still taken an emotional toll, said Matthew Uden.

 

His eyes teared up when he recalled a “remarkable” 12-year-old girl who, despite losing her father to COVID, brimmed with strength and positivity at his funeral.

 

Uden also saw other signs of hope and resilience, despite households being isolated due to lockdown. He said whole neighbourhoods often emerged from their houses to stand silently in respect as a hearse carried someone away.

 

“It’s so touching to see,” he said. “Even though we’re not together, it’s bringing a real togetherness.”

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-02-01

 

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[richard_smith237]

Stats... 

 

England and wales: 614,000 deaths in 2020 

There are approximately 4000 funeral directors

Thats an average of 153 funerals per year per funeral director

 

England and Wales: 539,000 average deaths per year over previous 5 years. 

Thats an average of 134 funerals per year per funeral director

 

The average funeral director is going to see 19 more funerals per year. 

 

 

Of course, funerals are not evenly distributed between homes and one home may be much busier. 

 

 

But the article still doesn’t quite add up if as claimed there are 5-6 more funerals per day.

10 funerals per day (Funerals Monday to Friday) thats - 520 per year with an increase to 780 per year

Which is an increase of 50%  (not 30% / 10-11 per day to 15-16 funerals per day). 

 

IF this funeral home were an average example with 5-6 extra funerals per day (week days)

Over 4000 funeral homes thats an extra 1 million funerals per year !!!

 

It all doesn’t seem to add up, but the article is clearly attempting to paint a very serious picture and has chosen an extreme example to make things look a lot lot worse. 

 

 

 

 

[Scott]

A post with false or misleading information has been removed.  

 

[elcaro]

14 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Stats... 

 

England and wales: 614,000 deaths in 2020 

There are approximately 4000 funeral directors

Thats an average of 153 funerals per year per funeral director

 

England and Wales: 539,000 average deaths per year over previous 5 years. 

Thats an average of 134 funerals per year per funeral director

 

The average funeral director is going to see 19 more funerals per year. 

 

 

Of course, funerals are not evenly distributed between homes and one home may be much busier. 

 

 

But the article still doesn’t quite add up if as claimed there are 5-6 more funerals per day.

10 funerals per day (Funerals Monday to Friday) thats - 520 per year with an increase to 780 per year

Which is an increase of 50%  (not 30% / 10-11 per day to 15-16 funerals per day). 

 

IF this funeral home were an average example with 5-6 extra funerals per day (week days)

Over 4000 funeral homes thats an extra 1 million funerals per year !!!

 

It all doesn’t seem to add up, but the article is clearly attempting to paint a very serious picture and has chosen an extreme example to make things look a lot lot worse. 

 

 

 

 

I think you are comparing apples and oranges here. This is a report about a funeral home in London.  You are comparing that to statistics of the country. 

https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/coronavirus--covid-19--deaths

 

Obviously the deaths in London are going to be a magnitude higher due to people living closer together than people living in the countryside.

 

You think the funeral home is lying about their numbers and waiting lists?

 

[gamini]

The highest per capita death rate in the world from the virus. Why.? I would say the most obvious cause is mismanagement. I think the PM was far more interested in getting brexit done than caring about the virus.

[tyga]

you can't take an annual average and extrapolate it to a big spike in deaths. He is not saying he had this number all year, he is talking ab out recently. Of course next year's average figures may be much much higher so this spike becomes the norm but let's hope not!

[Chomper Higgot]

16 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Stats... 

 

England and wales: 614,000 deaths in 2020 

There are approximately 4000 funeral directors

Thats an average of 153 funerals per year per funeral director

 

England and Wales: 539,000 average deaths per year over previous 5 years. 

Thats an average of 134 funerals per year per funeral director

 

The average funeral director is going to see 19 more funerals per year. 

 

 

Of course, funerals are not evenly distributed between homes and one home may be much busier. 

 

 

But the article still doesn’t quite add up if as claimed there are 5-6 more funerals per day.

10 funerals per day (Funerals Monday to Friday) thats - 520 per year with an increase to 780 per year

Which is an increase of 50%  (not 30% / 10-11 per day to 15-16 funerals per day). 

 

IF this funeral home were an average example with 5-6 extra funerals per day (week days)

Over 4000 funeral homes thats an extra 1 million funerals per year !!!

 

It all doesn’t seem to add up, but the article is clearly attempting to paint a very serious picture and has chosen an extreme example to make things look a lot lot worse. 

 

 

 

 

You might help your argument if you read the article then used current data to challenge what it says.

 

Here’s a clue:

 

‘It was a normal busy winter for British funeral director Matthew Uden until the second week of January. “Then it was like someone flicked a switch,” ‘.

 

The 2020 data you use as the basis of your ‘argument’ predates the surge in deaths  described.

 

Here’s another clue:

 

“Uden & Sons usually arranges about 10 funerals a day during the winter. Now it is doing 15 or 16, with dozens more bodies awaiting collection from hospitals and care homes.”

 

The number of funerals being dealt with by the referenced business is stated by the undertaker dealing with the funerals, they don’t fit your assumptions based on whatever your assumptions are based on. The trick you pull to fix this glaring fault in your argument is to declare the funeral director’s data to ‘not add up’.

 

You are lost in your own sophistry.

[elcaro]

4 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

You might help your argument if you read the article then used current data to challenge what it says.

 

Here’s a clue:

 

‘It was a normal busy winter for British funeral director Matthew Uden until the second week of January. “Then it was like someone flicked a switch,” ‘.

 

The 2020 data you use as the basis of your ‘argument’ predates the surge in deaths  described.

 

Here’s another clue:

 

“Uden & Sons usually arranges about 10 funerals a day during the winter. Now it is doing 15 or 16, with dozens more bodies awaiting collection from hospitals and care homes.”

 

The number of funerals being dealt with by the referenced business is stated by the undertaker dealing with the funerals, they don’t fit your assumptions based on whatever your assumptions are based on. The trick you pull to fix this glaring fault in your argument is to declare the funeral director’s data to ‘not add up’.

 

You are lost in your own sophistry.

Not sure which link you clicked but mine shows daily deaths including January. Maybe you should read the data instead of skimming as fast as you can to refute me. 

 

But whatever mate. Hope you stay healthy

[KannikaP]

22 hours ago, KannikaP said:

Can you catch Covid from a corpse, or do they put masks on them?

It was a serious question, not sad or confusing.

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, elcaro said:

Not sure which link you clicked but mine shows daily deaths including January. Maybe you should read the data instead of skimming as fast as you can to refute me. 

 

But whatever mate. Hope you stay healthy

My guess is I was replying to the post I responded to.

 

There may of course be a logical explanation as to why you believe it was your post and not that of Richard_Smith, but such ‘logic’ evades me.

[unblocktheplanet]

No matter that one country's Covid toll is higher than another. We all suffer the same, we all grieve the same.

 

This isn't a game of statistics & numbers. It's how we honour & support each other as humans.

 

I think these folks are doing a brave & splendid job. They deserve our thanks as front line workers.

[Credo]

4 hours ago, KannikaP said:

It was a serious question, not sad or confusing.

Yes, provided the corpse was infectious at the time of death.  They will not be as infectious because they aren't breathing, but the virus will be alive for quite some time.  Reasonable mitigation efforts will allow for protection when handling a corpse.  

The virus will probably live longer on corpses that are kept in freezers, but it will start deteriorating.   

 

[elcaro]

23 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

My guess is I was replying to the post I responded to.

 

There may of course be a logical explanation as to why you believe it was your post and not that of Richard_Smith, but such ‘logic’ evades me.

My bad. Since I got a notification I assumed I was quoted. 

[richard_smith237]

On 2/2/2021 at 7:02 AM, elcaro said:

I think you are comparing apples and oranges here. This is a report about a funeral home in London.  You are comparing that to statistics of the country. 

https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/coronavirus--covid-19--deaths

 

Obviously the deaths in London are going to be a magnitude higher due to people living closer together than people living in the countryside.

 

You think the funeral home is lying about their numbers and waiting lists?

 

 

The point I made was that one extreme example was used to make the issue seem significantly worse, exaggerating, sensationalising the story. 

 

The same would be argued if it were reported that there was no increase in funerals based on an interview Funeral director in a very quiet area. 

 

The article paints an exaggerated picture. 

 

 

On 2/1/2021 at 4:01 PM, richard_smith237 said:

Of course, funerals are not evenly distributed between homes and one home may be much busier. 

 

On 2/1/2021 at 4:01 PM, richard_smith237 said:

the article is clearly attempting to paint a very serious picture and has chosen an extreme example to make things look a lot lot worse. 

 

[richard_smith237]

On 2/2/2021 at 8:30 AM, Chomper Higgot said:

You might help your argument if you read the article then used current data to challenge what it says.

 

Here’s a clue:

 

‘It was a normal busy winter for British funeral director Matthew Uden until the second week of January. “Then it was like someone flicked a switch,” ‘.

 

The 2020 data you use as the basis of your ‘argument’ predates the surge in deaths  described.

 

Here’s another clue:

 

“Uden & Sons usually arranges about 10 funerals a day during the winter. Now it is doing 15 or 16, with dozens more bodies awaiting collection from hospitals and care homes.”

 

The number of funerals being dealt with by the referenced business is stated by the undertaker dealing with the funerals, they don’t fit your assumptions based on whatever your assumptions are based on. The trick you pull to fix this glaring fault in your argument is to declare the funeral director’s data to ‘not add up’.

 

You are lost in your own sophistry.

 

Au contraire... the argument I presented exampled how the figures quoted in the article were in no way or form even closely related to reality. 

 

The article accurately states that there were 90,000 excess funerals last year, but also uses the single example claiming 30% increase in funerals over Jan/Feb - which is an alarming increase claimed by the National Association of Funeral Directors. 

 

[sammieuk1]

Why anyone would request embalming their relative is beyond me when you know what's involved a lump of carotid artery hit me in the face my first time and it was an instant lights out for me did get better at the job but my contract was not renewed happy days ????   

[Surelynot]

Up until last week he must have been watching....."It'll be alright on the night"

[from the home of CC]

On 2/2/2021 at 12:30 PM, Chomper Higgot said:

You might help your argument if you read the article then used current data to challenge what it says.

 

Here’s a clue:

 

‘It was a normal busy winter for British funeral director Matthew Uden until the second week of January. “Then it was like someone flicked a switch,” ‘.

 

The 2020 data you use as the basis of your ‘argument’ predates the surge in deaths  described.

 

Here’s another clue:

 

“Uden & Sons usually arranges about 10 funerals a day during the winter. Now it is doing 15 or 16, with dozens more bodies awaiting collection from hospitals and care homes.”

 

The number of funerals being dealt with by the referenced business is stated by the undertaker dealing with the funerals, they don’t fit your assumptions based on whatever your assumptions are based on. The trick you pull to fix this glaring fault in your argument is to declare the funeral director’s data to ‘not add up’.

 

You are lost in your own sophistry.

deniers and those who feel money is more precious than life have contributed to many of these deaths, it's too bad they won't be held personally accountable...