COVID-19 Information

This page is designed to help you access basic information and updates on COVID-19. For the most current information, please check the Centers for Disease Control website, CDC.gov.

We recommend subscribing to the CDC’s newsletter to get the most up-to-date COVID-19 news. For information on COVID-19 vaccine distribution, please check Colorado’s COVID-19 vaccine website.

Positive COVID-19 cases have been identified in communities across Colorado. State health officials continue to test, process, monitor and track instances of the virus.

Visit Colorado’s COVID-19 Department of Public Health & Environments and State Emergency Operations Center website for COVID-19 news pertinent to Colorado.

This information is constantly evolving. Please check back for updates periodically. If you have found additional COVID-19 resources that you find helpful, please contact us.

Please note: All links on this page open in a new window.

About COVID-19

Coronavirus disease is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. The virus is thought to spread mainly among people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet) through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It is also possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes. There is no specific treatment for COVID-19, but you should seek medical care to help relieve your symptoms. If you are sick and not sure whether you should seek medical attention, you can use the CDC’s Coronavirus Self-Checker tool.

What To Do If You Are Sick

  • Stay home except to get medical care.

  • Isolate yourself from other members of your family to prevent spread to them and the people that they may have contact with, like grandparents.

  • Even if you don’t feel sick, you can spread COVID-19 to others.

  • Get care immediately if you are having emergency warning signs, like trouble breathing, pain or pressure in your chest.

 

How To Get Tested

COVID-19 Variants

Viruses constantly change through mutation, and new variants of a virus are expected to occur over time. You can track and learn more about COVID-19 variants from the CDC.

Delta Variant

The Delta variant causes more infections and spreads faster than earlier forms of the virus that causes COVID-19. It might cause more severe illness than previous strains in unvaccinated people.

Omicron Variant

The Omicron variant likely will spread more easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus and how easily Omicron spreads compared to Delta remains unknown. CDC expects that anyone with Omicron infection can spread the virus to others, even if they are vaccinated or don’t have symptoms.

Tools to Fight Variants

  • Vaccines remain the best public health measure to protect people from COVID-19, slow transmission, and reduce the likelihood of new variants emerging.

  • Tests can tell you if you are currently infected with COVID-19.

  • Masks offer protection against all variants.

COVID-19 Symptoms

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are:

  • Fever or chills

  • Cough

  • Headaches

  • Fatigue

  • Muscle or body aches

  • Congestion or runny nose

  • New loss of taste or smell

  • Sore throat

  • Nausea or vomiting

  • Diarrhea

  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

This list does not include all possible symptoms. The CDC will continue to update this list as they learn more about COVID-19. Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness.

Other symptoms are signs of serious illness. If someone has trouble breathing, chest pain or pressure, or difficulty staying awake, get medical care immediately.

Ways To Slow The Spread

  • Stay at home if you are sick, except to get medical care. If you need medical attention, call ahead.

  • Wear a mask to protect yourself and others and stop the spread of COVID-19.

  • Practice social distancing - stay at least 6 feet (about 2 arm lengths) from others who don’t live with you.

  • Avoid crowds. The more people you are in contact with, the more likely you are to be exposed to COVID-19.

  • If you go out, avoid poorly ventilated indoor spaces.

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available.

    Effective February 2, 2021, masks are required on planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations.​

Wear A Mask

Masks are an additional step to help slow the spread of COVID-19 when combined with everyday preventive actions and practicing social distancing in public settings. CDC recommends that people wear masks in public and when around people who don’t live in your household.

REMEMBER: Masks should NOT be worn by children under age 2 or anyone who has trouble breathing, is unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove their mask without assistance.

DO NOT use masks meant for healthcare workers. Surgical masks and N95 respirators are critical supplies that must be reserved for healthcare workers and other first responders.

Georgia Tech’s Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation has put together a webinar on Face Masks and People with Disabilities that offers some information on ADA and face masks as well as modifications and adaptations for making masks more accessible.

Updated CDC Mask Guidance

July 27, 2021 – The CDC has updated their mask guidance for fully vaccinated people given new evidence on the Delta variant currently circulating in the United States

  • If you are fully vaccinated, you can participate in many of the activities that you did before the pandemic.

  • To maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others, wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission.

  • Wearing a mask is most important if you have a weakened immune system or if, because of your age or an underlying medical condition, you are at increased risk for severe disease, or if someone in your household has a weakened immune system, is at increased risk for severe disease, or is unvaccinated. If this applies to you or your household, you might choose to wear a mask regardless of the level of transmission in your area.

  • If you have a known exposure to someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, you should be tested 3-5 days after exposure, and wear a mask in public indoor settings for 14 days or until you receive a negative test result.

  • CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to schools, regardless of vaccination status.

  • You should continue to wear a mask where required by laws, rules, regulations, or local guidance.

COVID-19 Vaccines

Currently, three vaccines are authorized and recommended in the United States to prevent COVID-19. Everyone 12 years of age and older is now eligible to get a free COVID-19 vaccine.

COVID-19 vaccines teach our immune systems how to recognize and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. It typically takes a few weeks after vaccination for the body to build protection (immunity) against the virus that causes COVID-19. That means it is possible a person could still get COVID-19 just after vaccination. This is because the vaccine has not had enough time to provide protection.

 Even after vaccination, you must still take steps to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

*On August 23, 2021, the FDA approved the first COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, and will now be marketed as Comirnaty, for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older. The vaccine also continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA), including for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals.

Additional Vaccine Dose for People Who Are Moderately to Severely Immunocompromised

The CDC recommends people who are moderately to severely immunocompromised should receive an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine after the initial 2 doses. This additional dose intended to improve immunocompromised people’s response to their initial vaccine series is not the same as a booster dose, given to people when the immune response to a primary vaccine series is likely to have waned over time. The CDC does not recommend additional doses or booster shots for any other population at this time.

Booster Shots

The goal is for people to start receiving a COVID-19 booster shot beginning in the fall of 2021, with individuals being eligible starting 8 months after they received their second dose of an mRNA vaccine (either Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna). This is subject to authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and recommendation by CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). FDA is conducting an independent evaluation to determine the safety and effectiveness of a booster dose of the mRNA vaccines. ACIP will decide whether to issue a booster dose recommendation based on a thorough review of the evidence.

Rides to vaccine sites

Don’t let transportation challenges stop you (or your family and friends) from getting vaccinated. Mile High United Way’s Ride United program is providing access to free rides (up to 25 miles each way) to vaccination sites across Colorado. Dial 2-1-1 or visit 211colorado.org to learn more.

 

Benefits of COVID-19 Vaccines

  • Studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are effective at keeping you from getting COVID-19.

  • Getting a COVID-19 vaccine may help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19.

  • COVID-19 vaccination is an important tool to help stop the pandemic and get us back to normal.

Learn more about the benefits of getting vaccinated.

Facts about COVID-19 Vaccines

  • COVID-19 vaccines will not give you COVID-19

  • COVID-19 vaccines will not cause you to test positive on COVID-19 viral tests

  • People who have gotten sick with COVID-19 may still benefit from getting vaccinated

  • Getting vaccinated can help prevent getting sick with COVID-19

  • Receiving an mRNA vaccine will not alter your DNA

Read more about COVID-19 vaccine facts.

Know Your Risk For Severe Illness

Everyone is at risk of getting COVID-19. Older adults and people of any age with serious underlying medical conditions may be at higher risk for more severe illness.

Most people with disabilities are not inherently at higher risk for becoming infected with or having severe illness from COVID-19. However, some people with disabilities might be at a higher risk of infection or severe illness because of underlying medical conditions. All people seem to be at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 if they have serious underlying chronic medical conditions like chronic lung disease, a serious heart condition, or a weakened immune system. According to the CDC, adults with disabilities are three times more likely than adults without disabilities to have heart disease, stroke, diabetes, or cancer than adults without disabilities.

Disability Groups & Risk

If you have one of the disability types listed below, you might be at increased risk of becoming infected. You should discuss your risk of illness with your healthcare provider.

  • People who have limited mobility or who cannot avoid coming into close contact with others who may be infected, such as direct support providers and family members.

  • People who have trouble understanding information or practicing preventive measures, such as hand washing and social distancing.

  • People who may not be able to communicate symptoms of illness.

Protect Yourself

If you or someone you care for are at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19, take steps to prevent getting sick (as outlined above in “Ways to Slow the Spread”). In addition to practicing everyday preventive actions, people with disabilities who have direct support providers can help protect themselves from respiratory illness in the following ways:

  • Wash their hands when they enter your home and before and after touching you (e.g., personal care activities, food prep, etc.), or when changing linens or doing laundry.

  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces (e.g., counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, bedside tables), and equipment such as wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, canes, oxygen tanks and tubing, communication boards and other assistive devices.

  • Refer to CDC’s recommendations for Cleaning and Disinfections Your Home.

Prepare

There are some additional things people with disabilities can do to prepare during the COVID-19 outbreak:

  • Plan what you will do if you or your direct support provider gets sick. Create a contact list of family, friends, neighbors and local service agencies that can provide support in case you or your direct support provider becomes ill or unavailable.

  • Plan at least two ways of communicating from home and work that can be used rapidly in an emergency (e.g., landline phone, cell phone, text-messaging, email). Write down this information and keep it with you.

  • Have enough household items and groceries so that you will be comfortable staying home for a few weeks and at least a 30-day supply of over the counter and prescription medicines and any medical equipment or supplies that you might need. Some health plans allow for a 90-day refill on prescription medications. Consider discussing this option with your healthcare provider. Make a photocopy of prescriptions, as this may help in obtaining medications in an emergency situation.

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Alternate Forms Of COVID-19 Information

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