COVID-19 Testing
Get free at-home COVID-19 tests.
Free COVID-19 tests are once again available to be ordered through the mail [external link]. JCPH highly recommends everyone test themselves when they have symptoms and before visiting with others.
Find a free COVID-19 testing site near you.
It is important to layer strategies to protect ourselves, loved ones and community from COVID-19. In Colorado, it’s easy to get a free, fast and safe COVID-19 test. Through ongoing testing, Coloradans can help slow the spread of COVID-19. Find a free COVID-19 testing site near you [external link].
Who should get tested for COVID-19?
If you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have been exposed, get tested. If you are exposed to a COVID-19 case, get tested 3-5 days after the exposure if you are unvaccinated, and 5-7 days after the exposure if you are vaccinated. Getting tested will provide the diagnosis you need to determine your next steps.
Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus, and testing is the most accurate when symptoms are present. Symptoms include:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
What if I test positive for COVID-19?
If you test positive, you will need to isolate yourself [external link], take care of yourself and monitor your symptoms.
- Talk with your healthcare provider for guidance about your care. Consider a telehealth visit or nurse line [external link] before seeking in-person care.
- The people who have been in close contact with you will need to take precautions. Read more about isolating yourself [external link].
- If you’d like to receive text messages with information about support available during isolation, use CDPHE’s support tool [external link].
- Use the CDC's isolation and precautions for people with COVID-19 [external link] to help determine how long you need to stay home, get tested and wear a well-fitting mask in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
If you test positive and are interested in possible treatments, such as monoclonal antibody treatment, please visit our COVID-19 Treatments webpage.
Exposure notification: Work with public health to help slow the spread.
When a person is diagnosed with COVID-19, it is very important for JCPH to quickly identify any individuals who have come in close contact with that person. This allows us to let that person know they could have been exposed to the virus, so they can also take steps to protect their own health and the health of their loved ones.
Following your positive diagnosis, an employee from JCPH will call you to check in on your health, discuss who you’ve been in contact with and ask you to stay at home to self-isolate. We will also reach out to close contacts who could have been exposed, and ask them to monitor their symptoms and self-quarantine. We will never disclose your name to those close contacts. Please answer our call to help us slow transmission.
Find more information about exposure notification on our factsheets [PDF].