During a pandemic, cremation services provide a number of benefits over a traditional burial: none of which have to do with any fears of contagion from the body of the deceased. As COVID has claimed the lives of over 1 million Americans since it emerged in March 2020, affecting the lives of millions of family members and friends mourning the loss of their loved ones, many families have been faced with having to plan memorial services for an unexpected death. As funeral homes and death services providers have been overwhelmed with the influx of demand, cremation has emerged as a beneficial choice in a number of ways.

1. Time for Memorial Service Planning: Cremation services allow for a longer waiting period between the time of death and the arrangement of a ceremony since there is no need to consider storage fees or the decomposition of the body while events are planned. This can be especially helpful for larger families where travel and schedules are further complicated by COVID restrictions.
2. Low Cost: Cremation is generally much less expensive than traditional burial, especially when long-term fees related to cemetery maintenance and plot payments are considered. By searching for online cremation websites, families are able to compare and shop for the best prices for “cremation services near me” to ensure they are getting a quality cremation at a competitive cost.
3. Convenience: Online cremation services allow families to complete the entire cremation arrangement process online. families can arrange to have the body of their deceased delivered directly to the crematorium from their home, hospital care facility, or morgue. Body identification can be a simple process facilitated through a website offering cremation services online.
4. Transparency: Simple cremation online services allow customers to see line-item pricing for all the costs including paperwork, services, and fees prior to placing an order for a cremation arrangement. This removes the fear of hidden fees or added costs from the cremation arrangement process and adds a layer of price security for families who are particularly sensitive to controlling the cost of cremation.
5. Flexibility: Cremation offers the ability for families to plan a creative memorial service outside of the traditional funeral home and cemetery-based services. For example, families may elect to hold an event outdoors, where mask requirements and social distancing mandates may be more relaxed; allowing for a more intimate experience for the bereaved. Families may also choose to hold several separate events in which a portion of the ashes (“cremains”) are distributed in various meaningful locations, thus allowing relatives and friends to participate in paying their respects to the deceased in distant locations or with fewer attendees at each event.

Though the social restrictions that COVID guidelines have placed on families highlight the benefits of cremation over burial, the advantages are not confined to just COVID-related deaths. In addition to cost benefits and convenience, cremation provides a more sustainable means of handling cremains while providings greater flexibility and creativity for families to plan memorial services to honor their loved ones.