COVID-19 Guidance for Parents & Caregivers

COVID-19 Screening and COVID-19 Testing Decision Tree

Quarantine and COVID-19 in Cases in School Settings

COVID-19 Symptoms

If any of the following symptoms are present or if you think that your child is sick, keep the student at home, inform the school of symptoms, and reach out to a health care provider about COVID-19 testing and treatment.

Reminder: If a student or staff member shows usual, unchanged symptoms of a known chronic condition (e.g., allergies or asthma) they can go to school/work/activities.

Major Symptoms

Loss of taste or smell
Feeling feverish, having chills, temperature of 100.4℉ or higher
New or worsening cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

Minor Symptoms

Sore throat
Runny nose or congestion
Muscle or body aches
Headache
Fatigue
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea

Testing & Notification

When should my student get tested for COVID-19?

You can access a COVID-19 test for your student whenever you want, regardless of specific symptoms or exposures. You should consider getting a COVID-19 test for your student if:

They are sick or have one or more of the symptoms listed above, and the symptoms are not due to a known, chronic condition (for example, allergies or asthma).
They have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of the infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.

Where can my student access a COVID-19 test?

COVIDCheck Colorado

All students in DPS are able to receive a free COVID-19 test thanks to a partnership with COVIDCheck Colorado and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Schedule a test.

Denver Health COVID-19 Testing

Denver Health also offers free COVID-19 testing and works directly with our School-Based Health Centers to process results for students. Contact Denver Health at 303-436-7000.

What should I do if…

My student is sick and/or has symptoms of COVID-19

Keep the student at home. Isolate them from others as much as possible. Learn more about how to isolate when household space is limited.

Schedule a free COVID-19 test for your student. To access a School-Based Health Center, visit their website or call 303-602-8958.

If the test comes back negative, your student may return to school after 24 hours with no fever (without using fever-reducing medicine).
If the test comes back positive, your student must isolate for at least 10 days from when they first had symptoms. They may return to school after 24 hours with no fever (without using fever-reducing medicine).
If your student does not take a COVID-19 test, they may return to school when/if:
- The symptoms went away within 24 hours of starting; OR
- The student only had minor symptoms (see list above) which went away in 48 hours; OR
At least 10 days have passed since the symptoms started AND the student has been fever-free for 24 hours without using fever-reducing medicine.

Note: If your student had any major symptoms lasting longer than 48 hours, they should isolate for 10 days from the start of their symptoms.

My student has been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 at school

Your school will notify you if your student was in close contact with someone at school with COVID-19 and must quarantine. (Close contacts are students who were within 6 feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period.)

Your student does not need to quarantine if:

They were not a close contact of the infected person; OR
They are fully vaccinated and have no symptoms; OR
Both your student and the close contact(s) were wearing a mask properly (over their mouths and noses) at the time of exposure and have no symptoms; OR
In the last 90 days, they previously tested positive for COVID-19 and have no symptoms; OR
The exposure occurred outside.

How long does my student need to quarantine?

If your student does need to quarantine, your school will send you guidance on what is required. School leaders and teachers work together to determine if any students were in close contact and do not meet the exceptions listed above. Quarantines are either for a period of:

10 days if they do not have any symptoms and do not take a PCR or Molecular COVID-19 test; OR
7 days if they do not have any symptoms AND have proof of a negative PCR or Molecular COVID-19 test. Note that your student must wait until 5 days after the last time they were exposed to the infected person to take the COVID-19 test.

During the quarantine period, the student should not be in close contact with any high-risk people.

My student has tested positive for COVID-19

Keep your student at home and separate them as much as possible from others, particularly family members who are high-risk. Call your school to notify them of the positive test result right away.
The student should isolate for at least 10 days from when the symptoms started (or 10 days from the positive test result, if they don’t have any symptoms). Learn more about how to isolate when household space is limited.
The isolation period for a positive case is never shorter than 10 days.
After the isolation period, your student can return to school when they have been fever-free (without fever-reducing medicine) for 24 hours.

A family member has tested positive for COVID-19

Students who have a family member with COVID-19 should quarantine from the date of their last exposure to the infected student family member.

Learn more about how to isolate when household space is limited.

If the sibling/family member can stay separate from the infected person in the home

The family members should quarantine for:

10 days if the sibling(s) do not have any symptoms and do not take a PCR or Molecular COVID-19 test; OR
7 days if the sibling(s) do not have any symptoms AND have proof of a negative PCR or Molecular COVID-19 test.
Note that your student must wait until 5 days after the last time they were exposed to the infected person to take the COVID-19 test.

During the quarantine period, the student should not be in close contact with any high-risk people.

If the family members are unable to stay separate from the infected person in the home

The family should begin their quarantine period when the 10-day isolation period for the infected person ends. This means the family member(s) may spend either 17 or 20 days in quarantine.

My student has been exposed to COVID-19 outside of school

Connect with your healthcare provider and/or a School-Based Health Center to determine the next action steps for your student. Please notify your student’s school.

Students should quarantine for:

10 days if they do not have any symptoms and do not take a PCR or Molecular COVID-19 test; OR
7 days if they do not have any symptoms AND have proof of a negative PCR or Molecular COVID-19 test. Note that your student must wait until 5 days after the last time they were exposed to the infected person to take the COVID-19 test.

During the quarantine period, the student should not be in close contact with any high-risk people.