What to expect from your Massage Therapy appointment
during the COVID-19 pandemic
during the COVID-19 pandemic
As someone who has accessed massage therapy treatments in the past and hopes to access them in the future, you may be wondering what you can expect from a massage therapy treatment in the midst of a pandemic. I hope that this guideline will help you feel safer and more confident as you access massage therapy care during this unprecedented time.
Before Your Appointment
When you arrive for your appointment
During your appointment
After your appointment
Behind the scenes
There are a lot of things that I will be doing behind the scenes to keep my clients safe. This includes:
A) COVID-19 PATIENT SCREENING
Before accepting an appointment, I must screen every client for risk of COVID-19 by following the MOH's COVID-19 Patient Screening Document Guidance and the COVID-19 Reference Document for Symptoms. The same screening must also be done verbally on the day of the appointment before you enter the building.
Please answer YES or NO to the following questions:
* You must answer NO to ALL of the following questions (1-6) to proceed with booking an appointment.
Q1. Have you travelled outside of Canada in the past 14 days?
Q2. Do you currently have a confirmed case of COVID-19?
Q3. Are you awaiting results for COVID-19 testing?
Q4. Have you had close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 without wearing appropriate PPE?
Q5. Do you have any of the following symptoms:
B) COVID-19 NEW POLICIES & PROCEDURES
* You must answer YES to ALL of the following questions (1-4) to proceed with booking an appointment.
Q1. Do you understand and acknowledge that by coming to the clinic, you are assuming the risk of exposure to COVID-19?
Q2. I have read the COVID-19 information on Mariane Talbot's website that explains in details all the precautions that have been put in place to make the clinic clean and safe.
Q3. Are you willing to wear a face mask during the treatment?
(You must come to your appointment with a face mask on and keep it on until you leave the building after your appointment. The mask must cover your mouth and nose at all times - even when you are lying face down on the table - and have a good seal.) *** As of February 2021, I require clients to wear two face masks with a good seal OR one CN95 or KN95 mask. ***
Q4. Are you willing to use hand sanitizer OR wash your hands before AND after your treatment?
If you do NOT pass this basic COVID-19 screening, I can NOT provide treatment, regardless of the rationale for Massage Therapy treatment. You will be advised to self-isolate and complete the online self-assessment tool before calling your primary care provider or Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000. This information will be documented in your health record and I will NOT treat you for at least 14 days, until you are asymptomatic, and have been cleared by your primary care provider or Telehealth Ontario of any concern of COVID-19.
Before Your Appointment
- You will be screened for your risk of COVID-19. I will email you a COVID-19 screening questionnaire the day before your appointment which you must return to me on that day (see below for questionnaire). If you answer YES to any of the COVID questions or NO to any of the COVID protocols and procedures, the appointment will be cancelled.
When you arrive for your appointment
- Ensure you arrive alone and as close to your appointment as possible.
- Stay outside the building when you arrive and text me (647) 520-6378 to let me know you have arrived and I will come down to meet you and do a verbal COVID-19 screening before you enter the building to verify that your health status has not changed since the pre-appointment screening. *** Even if the front door is unlocked, please wait outside and I will come and get you. This is so we can control how many people come in and out of the building at one time. ***
- You must be wearing a mask when I come out to meet you. Make sure the mask covers your mouth AND nose, making sure there are no gaps. Your mask must have a good seal. If it's too big or too small for your face and you have to keep adjusting it, it is not protecting anyone. If I'm not satisfied with your mask, I will provide you with one. Please note: At this time, I will NOT treat anyone who is not able to wear a mask because of a health condition that makes wearing a mask difficult or for any other reasons. If you can't wear or don't want to wear a mask, please DO NOT book an appointment with me.
- You will be required to use hand sanitizer when you enter the building.
- You will be asked to provide your name and phone number in a Visitor Log to be used for potential future contact tracing. You may choose to refuse to provide this information.
During your appointment
- You will be asked to wear a mask during the entire treatment. Make sure the mask covers your mouth and nose at all times - even when you are lying face down on the table and when getting undressed and getting dressed.
- I will also be wearing a surgical mask (ASTM Level 3) at all times. I use a brand new mask for each appointment.
- I will NOT be providing water so please bring your own water bottle to the appointment.
After your appointment
- You will be asked to use hand sanitizer OR wash your hands before leaving the building.
Behind the scenes
There are a lot of things that I will be doing behind the scenes to keep my clients safe. This includes:
- Changing linens, blankets and pillows between each client.
- Cleaning and disinfecting high touch surfaces (e.g. light switches, door knobs, counter tops, etc.) between patients using a hospital-grade disinfectant.
- Disinfecting the treatment room and all of its equipment between patients. This includes but is not limited to the massage table, face cradle, stool, client chair, lotion bottle, any massage tools used during the treatment. Any face cradle cover is changed after each patient.
- I have an air purifier with a HEPA filter in the room that is on high at all times.
A) COVID-19 PATIENT SCREENING
Before accepting an appointment, I must screen every client for risk of COVID-19 by following the MOH's COVID-19 Patient Screening Document Guidance and the COVID-19 Reference Document for Symptoms. The same screening must also be done verbally on the day of the appointment before you enter the building.
Please answer YES or NO to the following questions:
* You must answer NO to ALL of the following questions (1-6) to proceed with booking an appointment.
Q1. Have you travelled outside of Canada in the past 14 days?
Q2. Do you currently have a confirmed case of COVID-19?
Q3. Are you awaiting results for COVID-19 testing?
Q4. Have you had close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 without wearing appropriate PPE?
Q5. Do you have any of the following symptoms:
- Fever (temperature of 37.8 degrees C or greater)
- New onset of cough
- Worsening chronic cough
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty breathing
- Sore throat
- Difficulty swallowing
- New decrease or loss of sense of taste or smell
- Chills
- Headaches
- Unexplained fatigue / malaise / muscle aches (myalgias)
- Nausea / vomiting / diarrhea / abdominal pain
- Pink eye (conjunctivitis)
- Runny nose / nasal congestion without other known cause (in absence of underlying reason for these symptoms such as seasonal allergies, post nasal drip, etc.)
- New rash or other skin changes
B) COVID-19 NEW POLICIES & PROCEDURES
* You must answer YES to ALL of the following questions (1-4) to proceed with booking an appointment.
Q1. Do you understand and acknowledge that by coming to the clinic, you are assuming the risk of exposure to COVID-19?
Q2. I have read the COVID-19 information on Mariane Talbot's website that explains in details all the precautions that have been put in place to make the clinic clean and safe.
Q3. Are you willing to wear a face mask during the treatment?
(You must come to your appointment with a face mask on and keep it on until you leave the building after your appointment. The mask must cover your mouth and nose at all times - even when you are lying face down on the table - and have a good seal.) *** As of February 2021, I require clients to wear two face masks with a good seal OR one CN95 or KN95 mask. ***
Q4. Are you willing to use hand sanitizer OR wash your hands before AND after your treatment?
If you do NOT pass this basic COVID-19 screening, I can NOT provide treatment, regardless of the rationale for Massage Therapy treatment. You will be advised to self-isolate and complete the online self-assessment tool before calling your primary care provider or Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000. This information will be documented in your health record and I will NOT treat you for at least 14 days, until you are asymptomatic, and have been cleared by your primary care provider or Telehealth Ontario of any concern of COVID-19.