HOUSTON, Miss. (WTVA) - Funeral home directors right now are faced with the challenge of comforting a family while keeping them safe while they morn.

One such place is in Houston at the Memorial Funeral Home, which has had a dozen funerals for coronavirus victims.

"We're taught in school to treat everybody as if they have a communal disease," Stacey Parker said.

Parker is the funeral director and an embalmer. He also serves as the mayor of Houston.

He uses a lot of disinfectants and soap to prepare a body for a funeral.

"The disinfectants, germicidal, and then preservation is last."

When handling a person who died from the coronavirus, Parker is extra careful.

"I'm always using disinfectants prior to and after the fact," he said. "They are set up for us to protect us and to protect the people."

He always uses full protective gear.

"And that is my job, to make sure everyone is protected. I'm gonna feel liable if I don't."

After the embalming process, Parker said most of the risk is gone to catch the virus, but it is not gone completely.

Many families who attend victims' funerals are nervous about the possibility of spreading the virus.

Parker said the virus has been a humbling experience. He encourages funeral service attendees to wear masks and social distance.

There have also been fewer visitations during the pandemic, he said.