Treatment and Response

TREATMENT & RESPONSE

What are the symptoms of possible COVID-19 infection?

Typical symptoms for COVID-19 can include, but are not limited to: atemperature at or above 100° Fahrenheit, night sweats or chills, a persistentcough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, and/or a sore throat.

What should I do if I think I have coronavirus?

Regional Health Command Europe asks community members to adhere to the following guidance:

  1. Do not go to work or send your child to school/daycare.
  2. Please contact your health care provider before visiting a medical treatment facility. TRICARE beneficiaries should call the Nurse Advice Line at one of the following toll-free numbers based on your location:

As always, if you are experiencing respiratory distress, or believe you have a life threatening condition, please call emergency services or report to the closest emergency room.

What are the different COVID-19 Risk Categories?

There are three risk categories:

  • High-risk: Activities where safe physical distancing is not possible or difficult to enforce and/or the nature of the activity requires person-to-person contact for extended periods, such as fitness centers, child development centers and playgrounds.
  • Medium-risk: Activities that normally require person-to-person contact for extended periods, but that can be modified through controls that limit frequency, intensity and time of possible exposure, such as passport and ID card services, veterinarian services and barber and beauty shops.
  • Low-risk: Activities where physical contact is not required and/or transmission through incidental contact is unlikely give the implementation of protocols that ensure physical distancing, sanitation and protective barriers, such as post exchanges and commissaries, postal and bank operations, golf courses and car care centers.

What is considered “close contact,” and what should I do if I’ve come into close contact with a COVID-19 positive individual?

A contact event is generally described as:

  1. Being within six feet of aCOVID-19 positive individual for a cumulative period of 15 minutes or more in a24 hour period.
  2. Being in an enclosed area or workspace (i.e., an office)with a COVID-19 positive individual for 10 minutes or more.
  3. Contact with respiratory or bodily fluid (i.e., coughed or sneezed on, cared for at home, etc.) from a COVID-19 positive individual.

If you have been in close contact with someone who is COVID-19 positive, contact your health care provider as explained above and follow the ROM Policy chart instructions (above) to see what further steps you must take.

What happens after someone gets their COVID-19 test results back?

Please review the tab "Bavarian Decree / General Order." A ROM Policy chart is posted there.

What should an individual do if they are directed to quarantine?

Individuals instructed to quarantine must:

  • Stay within their home, or quarters, and monitor their health for signs of respiratory illness (cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, or fever exceeding 100 F).
  • Do not travel, visit public/crowded areas, or use public transportation.
  • Ifl iving with family members or roommates, maintain separate living space to the greatest extent possible. While this does not preclude all personal contact, limit proximity to at least 6 feet as much as possible.
  • Increase hand washing frequency, particularly before and after personal interactions.
  • Open windows to increase air flow.
  • Use separate sleeping arrangements and hygiene areas when possible.
  • Do not prepare food for non-restricted individuals.
  • Sanitize shared spaces after utilization.

What if one person in a family is identified as having had “close contact” with a COVID-19 positive person, what does that mean for the rest of their family?

Close contacts of someone who is COVID-19 positive are placed in quarantine for 14 days from date of exposure. The close contact should separate from the rest of the family. As long as that individual doesn't develop symptoms, then family members are not categorized or restricted. Family members should maintain separate living space to the greatest extent possible. While this does not preclude all personal contact, limit proximity to at least6 feet as much as possible. If the close contact begins to develop symptoms, then he/she should also be placed in quarantine.

Who can get tested and how?

The guidance is the same for all of Army Medical Treatment Facilities here in Europe. Our MTFs screen patients in accordance with Department of Defense and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Initial entry screening at every MTF will consist of a questionnaire to determine if you have a fever or symptoms. Testing is based on four priorities:

  1. A person who exhibits symptoms that include, but are not limited to as temperature of 100.4° F or higher, night sweats or chills, persistent cough and shortness of breath
  2. A person that has been identified by a tracer team as having been in close contact with a person that is COVID-19 positive
  3. A person who is in an identified "high risk" work area as defined by having two or more COVID-19 positive cases within the same workspace or workgroup
  4. Other people identified by the Senior Responsible Officer as being at risk

These protocols will help your healthcare provider determine whether or not you need to be tested for COVID-19.

One important thing to remember is that our providers don't treat COVID-19. They treat its symptoms. So whether or not you have a positive test will not change the treatment you receive; it just allows us to track where and how the virus is spreading, and isolate people who have been infected. Our providers are taking all appropriate action to ensure the safety of our beneficiaries.

Note for Tricare beneficiaries: Off-post testing is only reimbursable if required by an off-post provider as part of an evaluation and treatment plan.

  • Everyone should observe strict quarantine protocol (see details below) while waiting to test or receive results. Results for Service Members, Civilian employees, and contractors should be available the following day, and those of family members within the next 48-72 hours.
  • New arrivals (PCS or TDY) and any community members returning from travel to the United States (official or non-official) or other locations via commercial air must undergo testing and quarantine once on the ground. Visit the PCS FAQ (COVID-19 Edition) webpage for more information.
  • If you are not contacted by the clinic due to a positive test and you are not symptomatic, there is no medical clearance required to exit quarantine after 14 days.

Supportfor quarantining families is available, whether from the unit sponsor, thevolunteer shopper program, or a combination.

Who pays for COVID tests? Can I be reimbursed for a COVID test?

Service Members, Department of the Army Civilians, and their family members (on orders) may be reimbursed for the cost of the COVID-19 test if it is mandated by law for official travel to or from OCONUS locations and is not available through a Federal dispensary. The cost of the COVID-19 test may be reimbursable.

The cost of the office visit, mileage, parking, and any other fees associated are not reimbursable.

Read the memorandum: Testing and Reimbursement in Accordance with Official Travel To or From OCONUS Locations for more information.

Are diagnose COVID-19 testing being conducted at USAG Bavaria?

Yes. COVID-19 testing is being conducted in coordination with the host nation hospitals and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC).Test samples are sent to LRMC.

Are antibody COVID-19 testing being conducted at USAG Bavaria?

Yes. USAG Bavaria on-post clinics provide antibody testing for COVID-19. Please give your local clinic a call. An operator will ask a series of questions to determine if you qualify for an appointment with Acute Respiratory Care (ARC).

What are the different types of COVID-19 tests?

  • Primarytesting: For people that are either symptomatic, identified as close contacts,official travel, or require it a medical procedure. While we will alwayscontact patients that have positive results, Primary Testing results (positiveand negative) are retrievable through TRICARE online (TOL). If you need negative resultsfor your Soldiers, then they will need to get them from TOL.
  • Pooled/Aggregate/Batch/SurveillanceTesting: Testing a targeted population by dividing the population into relatedgroups (cohorts) for analysis of potential infectious disease samples todetermine the prevalence of an infectious disease in the targeted population (FRAGORD 10 HQDA 210-20)
  • Sentinel Surveillance Testing: Population level testing strategy that provides dataabout the prevalence of disease in a population through random sampling ofasymptomatic individuals within a unit or installation.
  • Clinical Testing/Diagnostic Testing: Clinically indicated testing of individuals whoare symptomatic or thought to be at increased risk of COVID-19 infection, due toknown contact. Diagnostic testing is done at the direction of a health careprovider and conducted at a Military Treatment Facility (MTF) or Host Nationhealth care facility.

I took a COVID-19 test on post, how do I get the results?

Retrievetest result through Tricare Online – ALL Active Duty, Family Members, GSCivilians and Contractors can register for a Tricare Online Account even if youdo not have Tricare insurance.

  • Goto www.tricareonline.com
  • Click "Login" in the upper right corner to get to the portal
  • Select: "Need an account?"
  • Select: "I am one of the following…."
  • Fillin required information.
  • Completetoken authentication
  • Onceyou have an account, select Login
  • Oncelogged in, click on Health Record
  • Selectthe Laboratory Results Tab from the column on the left side of the page.

How long does it take to get COVID-19 test results?

Due to the volume of COVID-19 tests being conducted at LRMC and the time required to process results, test result notification could take up to four days. You can help us ensure the timely delivery of your test results by making sure we have a current email address and telephone number where we can reach you.

If you have not been contacted within four days, you can also get your results by emailing the LRMC Public Health Nursing team at: usarmy.landstuhl.medcom-lrmc.mbx.lrmc-public-health-nursing@mail.mil. Please do not call the laboratory at LRMC. You can also access your lab results on the Patient Portal at www.tricareonline.com.

We appreciate your patience and we are doing all we can to provide results as quickly as possible.

What should non-TRICARE civilians do regarding COVID-19 testing?

Non-TRICARE civilians should contact their primary care provider regarding COVID-19 testing. Non-TRICARE civilians can also utilize German coronavirus service. Dial 116117. NOTE: The 116117 Call Center only speaks German to callers.

What is the treatment for COVID-19?

There are no licensed treatments for COVID-19. USAMRDC is exploring antiviral drugs under emergency Investigational New Drug (IND) or Expanded Access Protocol to treat COVID-19. USAMRDC is exploring – with the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) and Gilead Sciences, Inc. – an expanded use of a drug called Remdesivir that has demonstrated activity against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV). This drug was tested in the Democratic Republic of Congo to treat Ebola virus alongside three other therapeutics.

For on-post COVID-19 vaccination information, please review the tab "COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance."

How should we disinfect our clothes and shoes before entering our homes?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has guidance and recommendations on disinfecting and cleaning HERE.

Are pets affected by COVID-19?

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Some coronaviruses cause cold-like illnesses in people, while others cause illness in certain types of animals. For more information, click HERE.

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Medical Facilities

MEDICAL FACILITIES

Which local hospitals have English-speaking staff?

All German medical facilities that see TRICARE patients speak English. These include St. Marien Klinikum (Amberg), Klinikum Weiden (Weiden), St. Anna Krankenhaus (Sulzbach-Rosenburg) and University Regensburg Hospital(Regensburg). If you experience coronavirus symptoms, do NOT immediately go to your healthcare provider. Instead, self-isolate and THEN contact your healthcare provider. TRICARE beneficiaries should call the Nurse Advice Line at 0800-071-3516. Non-TRICARE beneficiaries should contact their primary care provider for advice.

Is it possible to get routine pharmacy refills without having to be seen?

Visit TRICARE Online. Click on RX Refill for pharmacy refill requests. Ensure you sign up for secure messaging.

I am pregnant, and the hospital where I plan to give birth is far from my home. Do I need any special permissions to travel to the hospital when I give birth?

Traveling to the hospital is considered an essential task and is authorized. For military personnel who are pregnant, advance approval from your battalion commander should be obtained in writing for this specified purpose.

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CWTSatoTravel & Refunds

CWTSATOTRAVEL & REFUNDS

How can I reach CWTSatoTravel?

The Commercial Travel Office CWTSatoTravel is located at Bldg. 215 / Rm. 122 / Rose Barracks.

Please call to schedule an appointment:

DSN 476-2634 / CIV 09662-4112110
e-mail: vilseckcto@cwtsato.com

Hours of Operation: M - F: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Closed on German and American Holidays

If I need to request a refund for my leisure travel, what should I do?

If you purchased a leisure ticket through CWTSatoTravel, contact the CWTSatoTravel office where you purchased the ticket (ideally by phone or email). That office will advise you whether they can process the refund or whether airline policies require you to contact the airline directly (in these cases we can assist with providing points of contact).

Does CWTSatoTravel charge a fee for rebooking or refunding a leisure travel ticket?

CWTSatoTravel will waive the processing fee to rebook or refund leisure travel affected by COVID-19 restrictions.

I paid for my leisure travel directly to CWTSatoTravel, why can't CWTSatoTravel just refund the entire cost of my cancelled travel?

When you purchased the ticket, the money went to the airline to pay for your seat. CWTSatoTravel can request a refund on your behalf from applicable airlines in accordance with rules associated with your ticket and the airlines' refund policies.

I booked a ticket for leisure travel or leisure in conjunction with travel, but now cannot travel due to either U.S. Government restrictions or travel restrictions in the country I would be traveling to. How do I obtain a refund?

If the ticket was purchased through CWTSatoTravel, then contact the office through which you purchased the ticket to request a refund.

Why isn't the airline refunding my entire ticket?

The airline may assess charges depending upon the airlines' policy on ticket changes and or country related-fees, the type of ticket you purchased, and your frequent flyer traveler status with the airline. These fees are established solely by each airline, travel agencies such as CWTSatoTravel have no ability to waive these fees. For more information, contact your CWTSatoTravel office and we can provide advice and or assistance.

Can I receive a standardized memorandum on the travel bans to assist with refunds for leisure travel reservations?

The entire world is facing hardship in responding to the threat of COVID-19. Unfortunately, there is no military exception for monies lost as a result of this unforeseen global pandemic. Most major airlines are offering refunds for tickets on flights that have been cancelled in response to COVID-19. But there is no special exception or memorandum for military personnel, as these travel bans and cancellations are affecting the entire world.

If a customer feels they are not being assisted by their local office, how can one get a higher level of customer service and support?

Please use the Travel Office Locator on CWTSatoTravel.com to find your travel office and select the "Rate Our Service" orange button on the page. This will allow the customer to describe and escalate the issue.

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COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance

COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance

Do vaccinated US personnel need the EU COVID VAX Digital Certificate?

It is not required that USAG Bavaria community members obtain an EU COVID VAX Digital Certificate. Choosing to obtain a digital passport is completely voluntary for US personnel.

When US personnel are vaccinated against COVID-19 on the installation, military health clinics issue patients an official vaccination card from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This card is US proof of vaccination and is widely accepted.

However, some USAG Bavaria community members express interest in voluntarily signing up for the EU COVID VAX Digital Certificate to ensure additional methods of proof while traveling in the European Union. This electronic certificate is equivalent to the German physical yellow vaccination booklet known as an "Impfpass."

For those who are interested, click here for the steps to enroll in the program. These instructions include steps for accessing Germany's App Store using North American devices.

(Before sharing your personal medical or location data with any commercially-available app, please consult the matter with your command).

For all other questions, where can I find DoD FAQs about the COVID-19 vaccine?

Please refer to the FAQ section posted on the Military Health System Europe - Regional Health Command Europe website.

(The FAQ section is posted near the bottom of the webpage).

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