Advice on using CPR in the Covid-19 pandemic

'Get hands on' is the call for all members of the public to do by acting immediately by performing hands-only CPR in an emergency. Credit: PA

New research has revealed that almost a third of adults in the North East don't know if CPR should only be carried out by professionals wearing PPE during the pandemic.

You Gov carried out an online survey of 2,086 adults across the UK between 9-10 September 2020 and 94 people living in the North East responded to whether they believed it was true or false when asked the following statement:   

"Since the coronavirus pandemic it has emerged, all bystander CPR should only be carried out by professionals wearing PPE".

The organisations behind Restart a Heart Day are concerned this could result in people waiting rather than acting to someone unconscious, they say, putting thousands of lives at risk. They are urging the public to act immediately to perform CPR when someone has collapsed and stopped breathing.

'Get hands on' is the call for all members of the public to do by acting immediately by performing hands-only CPR in an emergency.

The key changes are loosely laying a face covering, such as a mask, cloth, towel or item of clothing, over the mouth and nose of the person who has collapsed and to do hands-only CPR (no mouth-to-mouth rescue breaths).