First Aid, CPR, AED Training Compliance during COVID-19 (Corona Virus)

Over the past several days we have addressed many concerns from our clients about conducting First Aid and CPR/AED Compliance training during this Novel coronavirus (named COVID-19) international outbreak.  

COVID-19 Now a Pandemic

A pandemic is a global outbreak of disease. Pandemics happen when a new virus emerges to infect people and can spread between people sustainably. Because there is little to no pre-existing immunity against the new virus, it spreads worldwide.

The virus that causes COVID-19 is infecting people and spreading easily from person-to-person. Cases have been detected in most countries worldwide and community spread is being detected in a growing number of countries. On March 11, the COVID-19 outbreak was characterized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO)external icon.

This is the first pandemic known to be caused by the emergence of a new coronavirus. In the past century, there have been four pandemics caused by the emergence of novel influenza viruses. As a result, most research and guidance around pandemics is specific to influenza, but the same premises can be applied to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Pandemics of respiratory disease follow a certain progression outlined in a “Pandemic Intervals Framework.” Pandemics begin with an investigation phase, followed by recognition, initiation, and acceleration phases. The peak of illnesses occurs at the end of the acceleration phase, which is followed by a deceleration phase, during which there is a decrease in illnesses. Different countries can be in different phases of the pandemic at any point in time and different parts of the same country can also be in different phases of a pandemic.

There are ongoing investigations to learn more. This is a rapidly evolving situation and information will be updated as it becomes available.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html

Risk Assessment

Risk depends on characteristics of the virus, including how well it spreads between people; the severity of resulting illness; and the medical or other measures available to control the impact of the virus (for example, vaccines or medications that can treat the illness) and the relative success of these. In the absence of vaccine or treatment medications, nonpharmaceutical interventions become the most important response strategy. These are community interventions that can reduce the impact of disease.

The risk from COVID-19 to Americans can be broken down into risk of exposure versus risk of serious illness and death.

Risk of exposure:

• The immediate risk of being exposed to this virus is still low for most Americans, but as the outbreak expands, that risk will increase. Cases of COVID-19 and instances of community spread are being reported in a growing number of states.
• People in places where ongoing community spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 has been reported are at elevated risk of exposure, with the level of risk dependent on the location.
• Healthcare workers caring for patients with COVID-19 are at elevated risk of exposure.
• Close contacts of persons with COVID-19 also are at elevated risk of exposure.
• Travelers returning from affected international locations where community spread is occurring also are at elevated risk of exposure, with level of risk dependent on where they traveled.

NWR will be implementing additional precautions and protocols during training that must be observed until this virus has run its course.

Training Options

Compliance directors may opt to conduct your training via “Blended Learning” partial computer based training with modified “in person practical skills testing sessions”. 

During this outbreak we will be offering our clients two providers of “Blended Learning” either through the American Red Cross or The American Health and Safety Institute.

How to Mitigate disease transmission during compliance First Aid, CPR/AED Training through Blended Learning:

80% of the course is conducted via On-Line Study. This results in less time spent in classroom, mitigating person to person contact in a closed space to only about three (3) hours.

Smaller Classroom Skill Sessions

1. The CDC recommends 2m (6’) spacing between students during lecture and skills testing.

2. NWR will be disinfecting training mannequins, training appliances, table tops and chairs before and in-between skill testing sessions. 

3. Breathing barriers are always strictly enforced in all of our classes.

4. NWR will insure that any student showing signs and symptoms of being “unwell” or signs and symptoms of a viral infection like Corona Virus are prohibited from attendance until they are proved to be clear of any contagious illness.

Process:

When scheduling any Corporate or on-site training (multiple students) for Blended Learning or any Full Service Class the first stop is our Calendar to check for open dates.

Pick a date (or two) that works best for you, and we will then compare schedules to get your class on the calendar. Please allow at least three (3) working days for students to complete on-line training.

Next: Once we have confirmed dates and student numbers the following will be the process:

1. We will send you an invoice for the total number of students you would like enrolled.

2. The course fee under the new precautions:
Since additional time on site is required to maintain a sanitary environment we are estimating that total time on site will be three (3) hours (an increase from two hours).

$750.00 covers the first ten (10) students.
Each additional student will be billed at $70.00 each.

3. Once the invoice has been paid, we will request that you send us the names and email addresses of all students so that we can enroll them in the on-line portion of the training.

DROP-OUTS, NON COMPLETES ARE NON REFUNDABLE

4. All on-line training must be completed before the in-person skills sessions.

The Training Space:

For the in-person “Skills Sessions” the classroom needs to be large enough to provide adequate space between students to sit comfortably at tables for the short lecture portion, and then adequate floor space to demonstrate response skills (Assessments, proper CPR and AED Deployment). Again, the CDC recommends a minimum of 2m or 6’ space between students.

NWR will be prepared to split sessions as needed. Should the skills sessions need to be split into more than two groups; NWR will assess an additional fee of $90.00 per hour..

Please let us know if your training space is limited so that we may plan accordingly.

Standard Full Courses

NWR will take all and additional standard precautions to mitigate any disease transmission during full courses (5.5hrs). Our goal is to ensure that all students/attendees are protected to the best of our ability. NWR will be deploying additional precautions that include disinfection of all training equipment in-between uses and insuring training room sanitation is conducted (disinfecting of table tops & chairs)

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to contact us.

Now would be a good time to wash your hands.
Just Sayin.