Experts offer advice on mourning death during coronavirus

That's a good thing, according to David Kessler, 61, an author and expert on grief and healing. He says don't delay the rituals, even if the restrictions triggered by the pandemic

mean that traditions must be modified. “If your loved one died today, this is your moment to grieve. This is your month to grieve,” he says. “You can always have another physical

get-together later." Psychologist Alan Wolfelt, 65, who founded the Center for Loss & Life Transition in Fort Collins, Colorado, agrees that people who have lost someone to COVID-19

or any other cause should consider a small ceremony now and a larger gathering later. “Anything that delays a funeral delays the natural mourning process,” he says. “It's better to do

something than nothing." As the disease spreads, people have felt “shock, protest, disorientation, confusion and regret,” says Wolfelt, who has “walked with thousands of persons in

grief,” including some who lost loved ones in the September 11 terrorist attacks. “There's a heightened sense of loss or emptiness or sadness — all normal human emotions of grief."

But what to do is the question in a time in which customs of culture, family tradition and religious observance can't be followed. "Funeral directors, we treat families like our

family members. Our heart breaks a little bit each time one of them walks in." — Ellen McBrayer, funeral director Now mourners are taking part virtually in visitations, funeral services

and burials. Families use video or audio streaming and video chats in an effort to enable some participation by those who want to grieve together. In suburban Atlanta, 41-year-old funeral

director Ellen McBrayer and her husband, Scott, 42, were pretty low-tech at their Jones-Wynn Funeral Homes & Crematory, which dates to 1950. Now they stream funeral services on Facebook

Live, if requested, to keep the crowd to 10 or fewer people, standing apart from one another. "With a virus that's this powerful, social distancing has brought new challenges,” she

says. Burials are changing, too. Up to nine mourners and an officiant stand near the grave, and others in the cemetery stay in their vehicles and watch video on FaceTime or listen to audio

on Bluetooth.