DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - The novel coronavirus pandemic is changing how funeral services run.
After losing her husband, Joe Stowe, to COVID-19, Dorothy Cox said she couldn't say goodbye the way she wanted to.
"I feel like I'm just alone in the world right now," Cox said. "And to have him die without me even being there, no family could be there. It's just tragic."
Stowe was a resident at Fair Havens, a long-term care facility. Cox described her late-husband as a Christian and a 'man of God'. The Decatur widow said she wanted to give him a normal service.
Ryan Lee, a funeral director in Springfield, said he's seen more private funeral services.
"The families aren't wanting to risk their own health by being exposed to others who aren't necessarily family," Lee said.
Burials and cremations are still an option for families. During the stay-at-home order, the National Funeral Director Association suggested recording the service, postponing it or holding the event when restrictions are lifted.
"You just try to reassure people that it's OK to still grieve. These are very special situations," Lee said.
These unprecedented times served as a reminder for Dorothy Cox to not take moments with family for granted and stay safe at home.
You don't want to spread it [the virus] and hurt somebody or cause some other family the misery I'm going through," Cox said.
The CDC said there is no known risk associated with being in the same room at a funeral or visitation service with the body of someone who died of COVID-19. The CDC advises families should not touch the body of someone who has died of COVID-19.
