Red River College expanding course training students, health care workers how to swab for COVID-19

Red River College and the provincial government are expanding a course that's training students and other health-care workers to perform nasal swabs in order to increase COVID-19 testing capacity across Manitoba.

The free five-hour course was announced earlier this month and had its first intake on Monday. In less than 24 hours, the college filled the first three offerings, and had a wait list of nearly 120 students.

The first group of students will complete their training Friday and will be ready to enter the workforce as early as next week, according to a joint news release from the college and province.

Now, the college will have an additional three intakes with the first beginning on Nov. 9.

The course is open to students who are in at least the second year of training to work in a regulated health profession, such as registered nursing, licensed practical nursing and psychiatric nursing, and medical students at the University of Manitoba are eligible.

Anyone certified to practice in any of these fields outside of Manitoba is also eligible.

It is also available to students in an approved paramedicine or respiratory therapy program, health-care aides, medical laboratory technologists, occupational therapists and pharmacists.

More information on the course can be found here. Students can register online.