Coronavirus Case Linked To Another Protest In Boulder

BOULDER, CO — Boulder County Public Health officials are continuing their effort to warn protesters about possible exposure to the coronavirus after contact tracing. A participant in a June 4 protest has tested positive for the virus, health officials said.

The person attended a Black Lives Matter protest on the Hill near the University of Colorado Boulder, health officials said. The person wore a mask and had "very mild symptoms of no taste/no smell" during the protest, according to Boulder County Public Health.

Anyone who attended the event should monitor themselves for symptoms, immediately self-isolate if they develop symptoms, and get tested, officials said.

Last week, 17 Boulder residents tested positive after attending parties between May 25 and June 4, and a protest on June 5.

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Residents can contact their own health care provider to arrange testing, or contact an independent testing site. Free testing is also available at Denver's drive-up testing site at the Pepsi Center.

People who were exposed should seek testing as soon as symptoms develop, health officials said. Anyone who may have been exposed but does not yet have symptoms should consider testing around seven days after exposure, which may detect pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic infections.

“We’re seeing increased transmission in our county,” said Carol Helwig, Boulder County Public Health Communicable Disease Control program manager. “Anyone who can stay home should do so to stop additional spread and illness from the virus, especially to our vulnerable residents for which it can be deadly.”

Symptoms of COVID-19 may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure to the virus and 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, and/or diarrhea.

Current data suggests person-to-person transmission most commonly happens during close exposure (e.g. within six feet) to a person infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, primarily via respiratory droplets produced when the infected person speaks, coughs, or sneezes. Droplets can land in the mouth, nose, or eyes or possibly be inhaled into the lungs of those within proximity. Transmission can also happen by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching the eyes, nose or mouth.