TeamCare is working with our frontline medical professionals and vendor partners (BCBS, MMO, Caremark, Teladoc, and Quest Diagnostics) to best protect the health of our members. Although the situation is constantly changing, we would like to provide answers to the most frequent questions: 

• What if I feel sick? TeamCare will ensure all members receive the care they need. According to the CDC, if you have a fever or any kind of respiratory difficulty such as coughing or shortness of breath, you should seek treatment. There are different avenues of care for treatment: 
  • Teladoc: Telemedicine is a highly effective method to evaluate and treat respiratory flu­like symptoms from the comfort of home while minimizing exposure to potentially contagious viruses. Teladoc physicians are available by phone or video 24/7 to help evaluate risk and provide support. If a higher level of care is determined to be necessary by the physician, Teladoc will navigate patients to the appropriate resource (primary care physician, hospital, etc.). There is no cost to the member for using Teladoc. More information is available at Teladoc.com/TeamCare.
• CVS MinuteClinic®: There is no office-visit copay for members who get care at any CVS MinuteClinic. If a patient presents symptoms of a lower-respiratory tract illness (e.g., cough, shortness of breath), MinuteClinic will evaluate the patient's other relevant health factors to determine their risk of exposure to COVID-19. MinuteClinic visits may include a recommendation of further consultation with a primary care physician to determine if a higher level of care and testing is required. At this time, there is not a point-of-care test available for COVI D-19 in ambulatory care settings such as MinuteClinic. For your nearest MinuteClinic® location, call 866-389-2727 or visit minuteclinic.com.

For more info - please go to www.myteamcare.org  

FDA STATEMENT - click link for complete statement

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Blood Donations

The nation’s blood supply requires a steady supply of donors who generously donate millions of units of potentially life-saving blood and blood components each year. Every two seconds, a patient needs a blood transfusion.

Steps to Help Protect Against Coronavirus COVID-19 

About Coronavirus COVID-19 

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is responding to an outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a new Coronavirus (COVID-19) that was first detected in China and has now spread to multiple countries including the U.S. 
• According to the CDC, patients with COVID-19 have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure and include fever, cough and shortness of breath. 
• Call your healthcare professional if you develop symptoms and have been in close contact with a person known to have the disease, or if you have recently traveled from an area with widespread or ongoing community spread of the disease. 
• The following health and preparedness tips can help you stay healthy and prepare for possible disruptions due to this coronavirus. Most importantly, stay informed about the latest information by visiting the CDC website at cdc.gov/covid19. 

To Help Prevent the Spread of Respiratory Illnesses, Use Healthy Practices: 

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick. 
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (the time it would take you to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice) or, if soap is not available, use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. 
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. 
• Stay home when you are sick. 
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw it in the trash. If a tissue isn’t available, cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands. 
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe. 
• Follow CDC’s recommendations for using facemasks, which is for people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of disease to others, and for health workers and caregivers in close settings. 
• Practice healthy habits: get sleep, eat nutritious food, drink fluids, be physically active and manage stress. 
• Influenza and pneumococcal disease are the leading causes of vaccine-preventable respiratory illness in the U.S., so protect yourself with an annual flu vaccine and if eligible, the pneumonia vaccine. 

To Prepare your Household for a Possible COVID-19 Outbreak in the U.S., Use Preparedness Practices: 

• Obtain at least a 2-week supply of food staples, household and sanitary products, if asked to stay home (a best practice to increase your preparedness for any hazard). 
• Keep current prescription medications in regular supply, with at least a 30-day supply of needed health items. 
• Learn how your local public health authorities will provide guidance to your community and stay informed. 
• Learn how your children’s school or daycare, and your workplace plan to handle a possible outbreak. Create a plan to accommodate any closings, event cancellations or postponements. 
• If you care for older adults or children, plan and prepare for caring for them, should they or you become sick. 

March 6, 2020 

Copyright © 2020 by the American National Red Cross

COVID-19 BSL 20-002 Implementation Call Questions and Answers Updated 03-11-2020 

Thank you for your patience, dedication and calm during the urgent protocol implementations. We realize each of you are very busy right now, yet your urgency and sensitivity to this situation has been superb. Your questions are appreciated, and we hope the following document helps to prepare you to talk further with your team members, volunteers, sponsors and donors. When talking with them, please be mindful of their concerns and questions, even if you have heard the same question several times before. It is very important that each person feels they have your full attention and appreciation while you share with them the new precautionary measures put in place to lower their risk of exposure to COVID-19. For each of your team members, donors, sponsors and volunteers, please remember you will be their main contact for this information. It is vitally important for you to listen intently, acknowledge their feelings, and explain clearly when talking with them. To them YOU are the American Red Cross. 

To ensure that we are receiving your questions and answer them as fast as possible, please use the following email address to submit all questions. This Q&A document will be routinely updated for you as new questions are asked and updates to the current ones are made.

Click here for complete list of questions and answers