What does COVID-19 (Coronavirus) mean for First Aid Training?

To ensure social distancing and compliance with Ontario and Canadian guidelines regarding COVID-19, the Workers Safety Insurance Bureau (WSIB) has advised all First Aid providers to suspend in-person courses temporarily. People who require recertification for first aid need not worry. The WSIB has put workers and businesses at ease by providing a 90-day extension for anyone requiring recertification. The WSIB is the regulatory body that oversees first aid training in the workplace in Ontario.

How did we go from the first case of COVID-19 in Canada on January 25, 2020, to today where the numbers in Ontario  are growing daily? Why was it necessary for organizations like SOS First Aid to suspend classes?

My name is Patty and I am a First Aid Instructor with SOS and a Paramedic or First responder. My initial thoughts and worries take me back to the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic identified in 2003. SARS was also a coronavirus that originated in China in 2002. Transmission was primarily from person to person. SARS had flu like symptoms such as fever, headache, cough, breathing difficulties, tiredness and diarrhea. Global infection control regulations lead to the successful management and containment of the global outbreak.

What did we learn from SARS? How can we take lessons regarding precautionary measures learned then and apply them to our present situation?

We can and have been applying these lessons in our training sessions. There are guidelines and standards in place for classrooms and disinfecting and cleaning of equipment and surfaces. Students who are showing signs and symptoms of flu or illness are asked to stay home and reschedule their training to when they are well again. We do not want sick participants in our classes. Disease can spread easily as students are close contact with fellow students and touch each other when learning and practising new skills.

Health, safety and hygiene have always been a priority in first aid classes. How to prevent the transmission of bacteria and diseases and the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) are part of the required curriculum. This includes wearing gloves when providing first aid care, their proper removal and disposal, hand washing with hot water and soap for 30 seconds. We even discuss the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers when there is no access to hand washing which is preferable and more effective. When hand washing is available, do so.

Use hand sanitizer

Before we shut down our operations on March 16, we had added more access to disinfecting wipes, gloves, opportunities to wash hands to our classes, and kept a close watch on the development of the virus and adjusted our courses accordingly. Questionnaires were handed out to our participants asking them about their general health, whether they had a fever, cough, or travelled outside Canada or whether they had been in contact with someone who was unwell.

As the number of presumptive and confirmed cases continued to climb, public health officials and politicians began to implement a travel ban and the Ontario government declared a state of emergency mandating that places where people gather, like fitness centers and restaurants, close their doors temporarily. By March 18, 2020, all first aid providers shut down their operations temporarily.

At this stage, no one knows how much longer classes will be suspended. For clients who require first aid to meet workplace or school requirements, contact your employer or school and ask for an extension.

Blended first aid courses are a very good option for many. Currently, students are able to complete the online portion now of a blended first aid course. The online modules are the first half of their certification training. Once in-person classes resume, students will then be able to complete their one day training. This is the second part of the blended learning training. As long as you complete the in-class portion within 90 days of the online portion, the WSIB and the Red Cross will issue a valid certification for Standard First Aid. Normally the time to complete both training portions is 30 days between the online and the in-class, but the Red Cross and WSIB have granted a temporary extension to 90 days. Contact SOS to set up blended learning at [email protected].

What is COVID-19?

This virus is novel (which means new), also known as the coronavirus. It is a Respiratory Disease and there are certain people within our communities that are most at risk:

corona virus safety

  • Older adults (seniors). Not just with their advanced age, but most of them will have underlying medical conditions which make them more at risk
  • Those with lung conditions such as severe asthma, emphysema, COPD
  • Heart disease
  • Diabetes
  • Immune suppressed, such as those going through chemotherapeutic treatments
  • Infants/young children that may not have strengthened their own immune systems yet

We need to follow the guidelines that are being placed by our Provincial and Federal governments. These are being updated continuously.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

Know the Signs and Symptoms:

Infected persons may show no to few symptoms, and they are similar to the cold or flu. In some cases take up to 14 days to appear. They are:

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Pneumonia l

Social Distancing: means to keep at least a distance of 1 metre between you and others when out, especially if that person is sneezing or coughing.

Using tissues to sneeze or cough into, and then disposing of them immediately.

Washing our hands, washing our hands, washing our hands!! For at least 30 seconds with soap and water.

Self Isolation: for those who have been in direct contact/exposure to this virus or due to recent travels abroad. For 14 days they should not attend any social gatherings, such as church, work, school, concerts, restaurants, malls, stores, or use public transit: buses, trains, taxis, etc.

Home supplies should be: (reasonable amounts)

  • Soap – hand washing, dish and laundry
  • Bleach
  • Thermometer
  • Alcohol based sanitizers
  • N95 masks, if available. One use only.
  • Vinyl or nitrate gloves. One use only.
  • Paper towels
  • Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen
  • Facial tissues

Quarantining the ill and adjusting their care as needed.

We are attempting to “flatten the curve” of the spread of this virus. This means if we can slow down the new cases, it will give our doctors/nurses more time to respond and open up more resources for handling those who are ill.

This is all part of our mitigation strategy or system. This is our action plan to take control of this seemingly uncontrollable situation. We can all do our part!

Contact

SOS First Aid and Safety Training services the following Southern Ontario communities: Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington, Milton, Guelph, Vaughan, Woodbridge, Maple, Richmond Hill, Brampton, Acton, Georgetown, Hamilton, Ancaster, Brantford, Stoney Creek, St. Catherines, and Welland.

Customer Reviews

Ally was a great teacher! She was informative and presented the material in a way that kept us interested (with relevant stories).
Lorreinne Pelipel
Lorreinne Pelipel
Great course. Ally is a fantastic instructor who is incredibly knowledgeable, kind, and approachable. The course flew by.
Nicki Thibeault
Nicki Thibeault
Patty is an amazing instructor. Her class was very engaging and interactive. She makes you want to participate in class and her personal stories are heartfelt and interesting. Would definitely take another class with her again!Thank you Patty!
J
J
Ginsha Godson
Ginsha Godson
Patty was so knowledgeable and interactive! It made the session really stuck in my head. Thank you!
Ruben Bocanegra
Ruben Bocanegra
Fantastic information and fun. Patty is a great instructor.
Samantha Teeple
Samantha Teeple
Paddy turn all is a,great instructor, she takes her time and explains everything well
Sheri Bowers
Sheri Bowers
Mrs Viola was incredible teacher, I love her teaching mechanism’s easy to understand her thank you.
Beryl oyugi
Beryl oyugi
Ally was amazing, she answered all our questions and made sure we understood everything. Such an awesomeTeacher
Jenn
Jenn
Aly makes the class fun and engaging. You will not be bored in this class.
Sameer Zaheer
Sameer Zaheer
suzyan kunwar
suzyan kunwar
Had a great experience, instructor patty was very helpful.
8sujata kunwar
8sujata kunwar
Thank you Patrick for your wonderful instruction
LE NGUYEN
LE NGUYEN
Minakshi Subba
Minakshi Subba
Had amazing experience with Patty! She taught us so well and I learnt so much while practicing cpr and first aid.
Sanpreet Kaur
Sanpreet Kaur
Patty was a great instructor and extremely knowledgeable Was great with instructions and communication. Fun and a great experience.
Susie Riggs
Susie Riggs
I did the BLS course with Patty, and she was a very good teacher!
Nicole Freeman
Nicole Freeman
Our instructor was really good, he truly cared! It was a recertification, and I have to say that I learnt a lot this time. He went above and beyond. I feel more secure and knowledgeable when responding to an emergency. Thank you!
Marilyn A M
Marilyn A M
Ally was an amazing teacher trainer. Felt safe heared and very informative. would highly recommend.
jac hal
jac hal
Bidisha Dey
Bidisha Dey
Eun Hye Pedralvez
Eun Hye Pedralvez
Prakash was a great instructor! Made the class very engaging and explained things well
Sandy Kdeiss
Sandy Kdeiss
Sarah Almeida
Sarah Almeida
Mr. Nagar was amazing! Very helpful!
Alicha Desmond
Alicha Desmond
G KAUR
G KAUR
Great information and indepth knowledge of epinephrine and the placement and new technologies. Thank you Prakash!
Thaksha Kulenthiran
Thaksha Kulenthiran
Prakash was very engaging and thorough
Alpana Vora
Alpana Vora
Ally was an amazing informative teacher! i love her teaching style and she was great at answering questions and chatting in an informative way!
Sofie Z
Sofie Z
The training was interesting and educativeI enjoyed it
Oluwatosin Enitan
Oluwatosin Enitan
Daniel was excellent!!
Alaa Dimitri
Alaa Dimitri
Julie was the best instructor for standard first aid , very informative and easy to listen
Suhad Sa'doun
Suhad Sa'doun
I had a great experience with debbie at the kingbridge location She made it very easy to stay alert in the class That all students were able to receive her lessons she was amazing 👏
Kimberly Palmer
Kimberly Palmer
Jasen Devasagayam
Jasen Devasagayam
Great instructor
AsianDomination104
AsianDomination104
Great experience.Mario gave clear and detailed instructions that were easy to follow and remember. He was very professional and gave so much input than I expected. Would highly recommend!
Shiela Mae Arca
Shiela Mae Arca
Laziz Eibov
Laziz Eibov
Great instructor Mario! Thank you :)
Leila Yohannes
Leila Yohannes
Nanzala Anna
Nanzala Anna
Was a lot of fun while also providing the education and performance testing needed!! Mario was great!!
Hai Psycho
Hai Psycho
Mario is very knowledgeable. Mask fit testing went smoothly.
Kathryn Lantican
Kathryn Lantican
olubunmi olaoye
olubunmi olaoye
Mario was a great instructor. Thoroughly explained and provided a great learning experience!
Simran Sandhu
Simran Sandhu
I have amazing experience. My instructor explained everything very well and it was very easy for me to understand the whole process.
Gurkirat Kaur Grewal
Gurkirat Kaur Grewal
WANG RUXIN
WANG RUXIN
Wonderful class. Goi instructor daniel
Marlene Cromwell
Marlene Cromwell
Perfect 👍 teaching 👌
ese Dukuye
ese Dukuye
Daniel was great!! Everything was explained so well that I manage to score hundred percent
Zarah Ali
Zarah Ali
Mario was great! We had fun with our N95 activities!
Alieh Ramezani
Alieh Ramezani
Chirag Rangani
Chirag Rangani
The mask fit training was very informative and beneficial. I had a fun time attending the class and I feel confident in correctly fitting my mask for safety.
Acemark Pellos
Acemark Pellos
Zhanming Chang
Zhanming Chang
Aline Chusl Fotso
Aline Chusl Fotso
Keirol Mallari
Keirol Mallari
Dawa Sherpa
Dawa Sherpa
Mario is excellent! Great job! Highly recommended!
Marsi Siobal
Marsi Siobal
It’s very good session…
sagar amin
sagar amin
I have very good experience here
sonu3115
sonu3115
It was good
Amandeep kaur
Amandeep kaur
Mario is very helpful and accommodating.
gurwinder dhanda
gurwinder dhanda
very quick and friendly instructor!
Von Immanuel Yagong
Von Immanuel Yagong
Barkat Khalid
Barkat Khalid
Huang Yang
Huang Yang
Mario was missing Luigi. Perfect session very informative and straight to the point. Perfect session highly recommend.
Robert Rebelo
Robert Rebelo
GC Tobino
GC Tobino
Zantrav Motovin
Zantrav Motovin
genevieve gelinas
genevieve gelinas
I learnt a lot especially what to do when someone has got a snake bite.
Chidimma Onwughalu
Chidimma Onwughalu
Ally and Doug were great at explaining and teaching. They made the class fun and easy to understand. Loved it!
Samra s
Samra s
Navdeep Kaur
Navdeep Kaur
Wen Fan (Yvonne)
Wen Fan (Yvonne)
Went here three times already and I can confidently say that they deliver the most effective lesson for N95 certification. I had Mario as my lecturer and he was able to simplify and highlight important details on the use of N95's. Highly recommend
xkristiann (xkristiann)
xkristiann (xkristiann)
Excellent instructor
Manpy Sehmi
Manpy Sehmi
Araba Wood
Araba Wood
Marian De Villa
Marian De Villa
It was a splendid experience and very educative.
Kayla Asante
Kayla Asante
Great Mask-Fit session with Mario
Mel B
Mel B
Session was really informative and interactive. Mario has good humour and makes the session lively.
Polina Loukianenkova
Polina Loukianenkova
Mario was great. The session was informative and mario made it entertaining and enjoyable.
Ed de Vries
Ed de Vries
Jennifer Nana Arku-Entsie
Jennifer Nana Arku-Entsie
Great and engaging!!
Chidera Eleh
Chidera Eleh
Ally was absolutely the sweetest, most informative and great teacher, I have ever had. To have her patiently answer questions, while also providing real life examples that make it all better to understand! So smart! Loved it!
Leo Andruchovici
Leo Andruchovici
Elizabeth
Elizabeth
Mario is very friendly and approachable. Learned a lot from him. Never a dull moment during our lesson for N95. Good job!
Derlin Baywas
Derlin Baywas
Jasmeet Dulay
Jasmeet Dulay
A fun session
Shivangi Aatli
Shivangi Aatli
Quick and informative
Jahleen Reid
Jahleen Reid
Lima Siddiqi
Lima Siddiqi
It was very informative and Mario was a good instructor.
Witney Akowuah
Witney Akowuah
Very informative session!
Chelle Rubio
Chelle Rubio
Victoria Cuthbert
Victoria Cuthbert
For something I was dreading spending money on and doing, I actually ended up wanting more of and am looking forward to another opportunity to take more classes with SOS! Learning from Ally has been both enjoyable and inspiring. My classmates and I spent our break time discussing the material we learned and also how impressed we were with the content and delivery. We had all done the CPR and First Aide courses in the past, but all agreed this course was a game changer! We couldn’t thank Ally enough!
Jenna Bernard
Jenna Bernard
Ezinma Kingsley
Ezinma Kingsley
Mario was very informative and made the learning process enjoyable.
Sarah Byrne
Sarah Byrne
hyun been seo
hyun been seo
Very informative and proper courseJess was an amazing instructor
Arsany Maged
Arsany Maged
Jess was awesome! It was a very interactive and informative class. Easy to learn environment. Would definitely recommend SOS First Aid.
Ronak K
Ronak K
Marlon Murray
Marlon Murray
Learned how to provide the first aid.
Aiden Muliett
Aiden Muliett
Very good classAlly made it very fun
Justin Mancini
Justin Mancini

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