July 7, 2020

A Memo for the Instructors

As different states, provinces, and regions in different countries go through adjustments in regulation during the COVID-19 outbreak, questions have been directed to the RECOVER Initiative regarding how to continue veterinary CPR training. This is a dynamic situation and blanket recommendations are not possible. However, in an effort to minimize the risks of transmission of COVID-19, we have compiled the following suggestions for instructors. It is most important that all instructors abide by all applicable local and national regulations as well as current guidelines from trusted sources such as the World Health Organization (https://who.int/covid-19) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus). Your safety and the safety of your learners is the highest priority, and we recommend that you resume in-person training only when it is legally allowed and recommended.

Rescuer Certification Sessions

Each RECOVER Certified Instructor is responsible for providing any training related to RECOVER in accordance to instructions from public health officials in a manner that is safe for the participants. Risks of COVID-19 transmission in the area and type of training workshop that is desired should be evaluated by the instructor and appropriate precautions to avoid transmission should be taken.

Guidance

1. Instructors should follow guidelines established by the national, regional, and local public health authorities and institutional authorities (academic institutions or company policy) surrounding public gatherings and transmission prevention measures. 
2. Instructors should follow guidelines established by the international, national, regional, and local public health authorities and institutional authorities (academic institutions or company policy) surrounding international or domestic travel. 
3. If in-person certification workshops are conducted, we recommend the following precautions. It is important that instructors also implement any additional precautions recommended by the above listed authorities.
   1. Practice good hygiene requiring participants to wash their hands using the 20 second rule before and after the course, meals, or breaks. 
   2. Disinfect any equipment used in between use.
   3. Participants should wear PPE with gloves, masks, and eye protection at a minimum.
   4. Mouth-to-snout ventilation should not be practiced by participants, but discussed in detail instead. 
   5. Create enough space between participants based on public health official recommendations. 
   6. Consider implementing a signed COVID-19 waiver and mandatory health self-check for participants.
4. These additional precautions should be practiced until further notice. RECOVER will be following global and national public health recommendations for gatherings, and will update these recommendations as additional information becomes available. 

Instructor Certification Period Extensions

RECOVER Certified Instructors normally go through recertification by conducting at least two certification workshops during their certification period. With COVID-19, RECOVER is indefinitely extending the certification period for instructors that had their certifications due to expire February 2020 and later. We will provide further communication when the requirements are re-implemented.

Simulator Rentals

Simulator rentals are continued to be made available for in-house RECOVER CPR certification where the instructor is able to conduct certifications with veterinary team members that already have an existing degree of interaction. The workshop needs to be conducted with safety and minimized risks that will not be compromised by holding the workshop.

Simulator rentals are not available for regional training or conferences that will bring individuals that normally would not be interacting with each other together for the workshop.