Coronavirus (COVID-19) Testing for Kids

If your child has coronavirus symptoms or you want them to be tested for another reason, follow these steps:

1. Talk to your child's primary care doctor to talk about your child’s symptoms or your reason for testing.
2. Ask your doctor to send a referral to Children's Colorado.
3. Confirm with your doctor that they sent the referral.
4. Once you’ve confirmed your referral, please call to make an appointment for testing:
   • Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora: 720-777-0001
   • North Campus, Broomfield: 720-478-5255
   • Colorado Springs: 719-305-0005

When you call to make an appointment, our team will explain the next steps and answer questions about insurance, billing and more.

We offer viral coronavirus testing at the following locations. 

Please note: These are drive-through testing sites. Vehicles must be shorter than 8 ft.

• Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora
  • Testing site: 1575 Wheeling Street, Aurora, CO 80045
  • Open 7 days a week, by appointment
  • Hours: 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
    
    ^{Map of Anschutz Medical Campus testing site}
• North Campus, Broomfield (New!)
  • Testing site: 469 State Highway 7, Broomfield, CO 80023
  • Open Tuesday through Saturday, by appointment
  • Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
    
    ^{Map of North Campus, Broomfield testing site}
• Briargate Outpatient and Specialty Care
  • Testing site: 4125 Briargate Pkwy., Colorado Springs, CO 80920
  • Open Saturday through Thursday (closed Fridays), by appointment
  • Hours vary
    
    ^{Map of Colorado Springs campus testing site}

• Identification, such as a driver’s license or insurance card, for you and your child
• If your doctor did not send the referral electronically, bring the referral from your doctor. A referral on a prescription pad or a photo or screenshot of the referral will work. The referral must have your child’s name on it.
• A toy or stuffed animal for younger children
• Tissues for minor irritation, runny nose or sneezing after the nose swab

We strive to make this process as safe and easy as we can. Please expect to follow these steps for your COVID-19 test:

• Once you arrive at your testing location you will follow a designated route to our drive-up test.
• Our team members will greet you wearing protective equipment, including masks, gowns and gloves.
• While you and your child stay in your car, a team member will swab your child’s nose with a cotton swab. This swab goes up their nose and for a moment your child will feel uncomfortable.
• We then send the sample to our lab and will send your child’s results within 24 hours.
• You will get your child’s results in MyChart or from your child’s doctor.

Watch the video below with your child to learn what to expect from COVID-19 testing at Children's Colorado.

If your child is nervous about getting a test, here are some helpful tips from our child life specialists:

• Ask your child to take big, deep breaths.
• Hold their hand while they’re going through the test.
• Have them bring their favorite stuffed animal or toy from home to hold or play with during the test.

Like all tests, the coronavirus test is not 100% accurate.

The lab at Children’s Colorado uses a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test that can find a very small amount of virus.

If your child tests positive for the coronavirus, they almost certainly have the virus. A “false-positive” result is very rare.

If your child tests negative for the coronavirus, it’s unlikely, but possible, that it is a “false-negative.” This could happen for several reasons:

• The swab missed the virus
• There’s a small chance there could be an issue with the test itself
• Because COVID-19 is a new disease, we don’t know when during the illness it will cause a positive test yet. For example, it’s possible that someone could get the virus, but would not test positive for the first several days. Current research suggests the virus can be best found during the first few days of symptoms.

If your child tests positive for the coronavirus, talk to your child’s doctor about steps you should take as a family related to your child’s overall health and what will work for your family.

Have your child follow these steps if they test positive for the coronavirus:

• Isolate (stay away from others) for at least 10 days from when their symptoms started. (Isolation separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick.)
• Your child should also show no signs of fever for 24 hours and see other symptoms get better before they end their isolation.
• Stay home except for when getting medical care.
• Contact anyone your child has been with for more than 15 minutes and within 6 feet and let them know about your child’s positive test. Inform them that they should stay away from others for 14 days.
• Check local isolation and quarantine advice for the most up-to-date information.

How can I safely care for my child if they have COVID-19?

You should follow any specific instructions from your doctor about how to care for your child at home. As with any other illness, it is important to keep your child hydrated, so be sure they drink plenty of fluids (like water) even if they are not hungry. Learn our top tips for getting your child to drink more water.

Acetaminophen or ibuprofen may be used to help with fever or pain. The American Academy of Pediatrics agrees with the World Health Organization about the use of ibuprofen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Right now, there is not enough evidence to avoid taking ibuprofen, unless you have a medical condition that makes ibuprofen less safe.

You should always wash your hands after caring for your child while they are sick.

What should I do if we need to come back to the clinic or hospital?

Call ahead before visiting the doctor. You should let the clinic or hospital know that your child was diagnosed with COVID-19. This will help them take the right steps to see your child safely and to keep other people from getting infected or exposed.

Face coverings are required upon entering Children's Colorado. We encourage you to bring a face covering from home. If you do not have a face covering, we can provide each visitor one homemade face covering while our supplies last. Visitors or patients who are sick may be given a different type of mask.

Should I be tested for COVID-19? Should the rest of my family?

People with mild symptoms, including people who have been in contact with someone with COVID-19, don’t always need to be tested and can usually be cared for at home. If you have symptoms, you should call your doctor. If you don’t have symptoms, you don’t need to be tested.

People with more severe symptoms or those whose test result might put them or others at greater risk may need to be tested. This group who may need testing includes:

• People sick enough to need care in a hospital
• People over 65 years of age with symptoms
• People with chronic medical conditions and symptoms
• People with symptoms living or working in long-term care facilities
• Healthcare workers and first responders with symptoms
• Critical infrastructure workers with symptoms

If you fall into one of these categories, you should call your doctor to ask about testing.

If your child tests negative for the coronavirus, they should continue to take steps to keep themselves and others from getting the coronavirus, including:

• Wearing a face covering in public
• Staying 6 feet away from others when in public
• Frequently washing their hands

Take note: A negative test does not mean that you child can’t get the virus in the future. Doctors do not yet fully understand infections caused by COVID-19.

Isolation separates sick people with a contagious disease (a disease that spreads from person to person like COVID-19) from people who are not sick.

If your child has tested positive for COVID-19 or has symptoms of COVID-19 but has not been tested, they should be in isolation at home until:

• At least 10 days after symptoms started
• No fever for 24 hours without the use of antipyretics (acetaminophen or ibuprofen)
• Symptoms are getting better

During isolation, a sick person should stay home, stay away from others and not have any visitors come to the home. Isolation in the hospital works differently than at home. Please ask your doctor if you have questions about isolation in the hospital or if your child is immunocompromised.

Quarantine separates people who have been exposed (come in contact with) a contagious disease to see if they become sick.

Anyone who has had close contact with someone who has COVID-19 or has symptoms of COVID-19 should be quarantined for 14 days from their last exposure. Because exposure to people in your household is ongoing, you should start counting day 1 of quarantine from the time that your child’s isolation period ends.

During quarantine, you should stay home and not have any visitors come to your home. If you must go out during the quarantine period (for example to buy food), you should wear a mask.

We test patients for COVID-19 prior to any surgical procedure and/or inpatient hospital admission. This helps ensure that we identify and prevent the spread of COVID-19 while providing the safest care for children and protecting our healthcare workers.

A COVID-19 test is not required for a patient visit to the emergency department, nor is it required to receive necessary emergent care (including emergency surgery). An emergent surgery is a surgery requiring a life- or limb-saving procedure or a surgery that would have negative effects on a patient if postponed.

Antibodies are proteins that protect your child’s body against infection and getting a specific disease again. The antibody test searches your child’s blood for this coronavirus’s specific antibodies. If your child tests positive for COVID-19 antibodies it means they've had the coronavirus before.

A positive test for antibodies does not show that your child currently has the coronavirus. A positive test also does not mean that your child is immune to another COVID-19 infection. Antibodies often protect us from getting infected again, but we do not yet know if that is true for the coronavirus. Scientists are studying this issue now.

If your child tests positive for coronavirus antibodies, they should keep on doing things that help slow the spread of the disease, such as social distancing, wearing face coverings and proper hand washing.

You can ask for an antibody test from Children’s Colorado through your child’s primary care doctor. Talk to your child’s doctor about why you want the test and they can determine if it’s appropriate for your child. If appropriate, your child’s doctor can order the antibody test from our lab just like they would order any other test.

Please note that antibody testing is done via a blood draw in our lab, and we do not require an appointment. We do ask that your child and family wear a mask. You can see our visitation policy for more information. 

If your child’s doctor has questions about antibody testing, they can contact the Infectious Disease team through OneCall (call 720-777-3999 in the Denver metro area or 719-305-3999 in Colorado Springs).

Your child’s doctor will draw your child’s blood and send it to our lab. They can also refer your child to one of our labs. We process antibody tests Monday through Friday and will tell your doctor your child’s test result the next business day after we get the request.

The accuracy of an antibody test depends on the quality of the test and how common the disease is within your community. Both of these factors are constantly changing. The quality of antibody tests is getting better as scientists work on them more, but these are all still new tests for a new virus.

The more common the coronavirus is with your community, the more accurate the test is.

An antibody test may show a past infection but should not change precautions your family takes to stop the spread of the virus. Talk to your child’s primary care doctor about the accuracy of your particular test.

A coronavirus test (also known as a PCR or viral test) finds out if your child has a current coronavirus infection while an antibody test finds out if your child may have had an infection in the past. The coronavirus test is usually faster and more accurate than an antibody test.

No, a positive antibody test does not mean your child can’t get the coronavirus again. We are hopeful this is the case, as it is with antibodies for other diseases, but we don’t know that yet. Researchers are studying how the new coronavirus’s antibodies act, but we can’t say for certain that they can stop future infection.

Yes, a negative test only shows what that test finds at the time of the test. There are several reasons for differences between test results, including:

• There could be an issue with the test that creates a “false-negative” test.
• Your child could be tested too early or too late during the infection when there is not enough virus in the body (called viral load) to cause a positive test.
• Your child might not have the infection when they are tested but could be exposed to the virus later.

No matter the results, you should still take measures to protect your child, your family and others against the coronavirus. This is crucial for limiting the spread of the coronavirus in your community and protecting yourselves while scientists continue to study the new coronavirus. Continue to:

• Stay home when you can
• Limit your interactions with others
• Wear a face covering
• Stay 6 feet apart from others while in public
• Wash your hands often

This likely depends on your child’s pain tolerance, but most children describe the test as uncomfortable, annoying or odd, rather than painful. The test will likely touch sinus tissue and nerves, which can cause your child to feel uncomfortable and make their eyes water. The test only takes a few seconds and these uncomfortable feelings only last for a short time.

Learn what you need to know during the pandemic by reading our coronavirus resources for families.