A Black Lives Matter protest wasn’t held in Longmont until June 5, but residents who traveled to Boulder the day prior for a demonstration in the University Hill area are being advised a participant recently tested positive for COVID-19.
Boulder County Public Health, in a news release issued Monday, said the person “had very mild symptoms of no taste/no smell at the time of the protest” and wore a mask at the protest.
“Anyone who attended the event should monitor for symptoms, immediately self-isolate if they develop symptoms, and get tested,” the health department stated.
Residents can contact their health care provider to arrange testing, or contact an independent testing site. Free testing also is available at the drive-up testing site at the Pepsi Center in Denver.
People who were exposed should seek testing as soon as symptoms develop, according to the county health department. Anyone who might have been exposed but does not yet have symptoms should consider testing approximately seven days after exposure, which may detect pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic infections, Boulder County Public Health stated.
“We’re seeing increased transmission in our county,” Carol Helwig, Boulder County Public Health Communicable Disease Control program manager, stated in the release. “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 two 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, according to the release.
Current data suggest person-to-person transmission most commonly happens during close exposure (e.g. within 6 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, according to the health department. “Droplets can land in the mouth, nose, or eyes or possibly be inhaled into the lungs of those within close proximity. Transmission may also happen by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching the eyes, nose, or mouth.”
COVID-19 updates are shared on the Boulder County Public Health Facebook and Twitter social media pages and Boulder County Public Health COVID-19 website at boco.org/covid-19.
