CLEVELAND, Ohio — As the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact the world, the American Red Cross is having to put certain programs on hold — including one that teaches life saving techniques.


What You Need To Know

  • The Red Cross is advocating for "hands-only" CPR

  • Red Cross officials say it's just as effective as full CPR

  • You can find the training video on YouTube

Spectrum News talked with Sharon Nicastro, a Red Cross volunteer, about how you can still learn the techniques that can save someone, while still being safe.

"We've only been teaching it really seriously with a big push for maybe the last couple of years," said Nicastro.

The classes for "hands-only" CPR have been suspended indefinitely while the pandemic continues to rock the world, but Nicastro said the training is still available for those who want it.

"We have about a two-minute video that we show during the presentation, and it is available on YouTube. All you have to do is look for American Red Cross 'Hands-Only' CPR and you'll get all of the information that you would get in the class."

Nicastro said that while the "hands-only" approach has been around for a while, it's a skill people may want to know in the age of wearing masks and social distancing.

"The most important thing to know is that anybody can do it. Everybody should do it. The bystander is probably the most important person when somebody goes into cardiac arrest."

Nicastro said "hands-only" CPR has fewer steps than traditional CPR, making it easier for people to remember the steps.

She said because adults reserve oxygen in other parts of their body, this form of CPR is just as effective as full CPR. It also doesn't require mouth-to-mouth, which could be a concern with spreading the virus.

"Tap them on the shoulders and say 'are you okay? Are you okay?' If they don't respond, look at their chest for about five seconds, see if it's going up and down, if they're breathing. If not, you start the compressions and you just keep going until EMS gets there."

No certification is needed for "hands-only" CPR, but for people who are required to get certified in CPR for their job, those classes are still ongoing and they've been updated to reflect COVID safety measures.

"Our students are wearing masks. There's a lot of hand washing going on. There's a lot of distancing. Classes aren't large."

Nicastro said it's a personal choice if someone decides to use full CPR instead of "hands-only."

She also said for children and infants, full CPR is more effective. You can find a link to the training video here.