COVID-19 INFO

During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all of Primary Care Partners’ services are still available to you including primary health care and well visits, outpatient physical, occupation, and speech therapy, diagnostics, nutrition services, after-hours care through DOCS on Call, and TeleHealth appointments.

We understand you may have concerns about potential exposure risks to COVID-19.  As your primary care providers and healthcare destination, we want to assure you that we take every precaution to ensure the safety of our in-person visits, including the requirement of masks and a temperature scan upon entry and enhanced cleaning protocols after each visit.

We are here to partner with you and support your long-term health care needs, which may have been delayed or postponed due to the pandemic. As we adapt to changes in COVID-19 protocols and precautions, please do not delay your preventive screenings, well check-ups, or physicals any longer. All patients are encouraged to schedule routine visits to prevent, avoid, or detect disease in its early stages. 

We offer in-person and TeleHealth visits with your primary care providers or advanced practitioners. Please contact us to schedule an appointment today to determine which type of visit may be most appropriate for you.

The following information is a compilation of COVID-19 information and health protocols developed by public health experts at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Mesa County Public Health (MCPH).

COVID-19 Symptoms & When to Test

It is currently recommended that the following people should receive a COVID-19 test:

  • People who have symptoms of COVID-19.
    • 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*This list does not include all possible symptoms.

People who have come into close contact with someone with COVID-19 should be tested to check for infection.

People who are not fully vaccinated should get tested immediately when they find out they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive with COVID-19.  If their test result is negative, they should get tested again 5–7 days after their last exposure or immediately if symptoms develop.

Fully vaccinated people should be tested 5–7 days after their last exposure.

People who have tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 90 days and recovered, as long as they do not develop new symptoms, do not need to get tested.

If you have additional questions or concerns, contact Mesa County Public Health at 970-248-6900.

See the most current COVID-19 data from the CDC here.

COVID-19 Testing Information

Testing Sites. Testing is currently available at the following public testing sites. Registration is required:

Location: Mesa County Fairgrounds 2785 US-50 Grand Junction, 81503

View available days and times

Type of Test: Nasal Swab, Rapid* and PCR testing available

Cost: FREE

*A limited amount of rapid tests are available each day and should be used by those patients experiencing COVID-19 symptoms

Accessing Results:

Results are processed through labs outside MCPH. Testing turnaround times vary depending on the lab but are typically returned in 2-4 days. You will be notified by the lab that processed your test. Instructions for results are given onsite when the test is performed.

Use the link below to be directed to the sites for the labs used to process results. If offered by the lab, you’ll need your account or appointment information to access your results.

Results from MCPH/Mako Medical

Locations:

Long Family Memorial Park- 3117 F Rd Grand Junction, CO 81504

Fruita 8/9 School- 1835 J Road, Fruita, CO 81521 

Colorado Mesa University- 1280 Cannell Avenue Grand Junction, CO 81501

Days and times vary per location. Register now or click here to see current availability.

Type of Test: Nasal Swab, Saliva; NO RAPIDS; only PCR testing

Cost: FREE

Accessing Results: 

Results are processed through labs outside MCPH. Testing turnaround times vary depending on the lab but are typically returned in 2-4 days.

You will be notified by the lab that processed your test. Instructions for results are given onsite when the test is performed. If offered by the lab, you’ll need your account or appointment information to access your results.

Testing is available at select divisions of Primary Care Partners for our valued patients. We recommend consulting with your insurance company as you may be responsible for costs when taking a COVID-19 test at our facilities. These divisions offer testing on a limited, appointment-only basis. 

Western Colorado Physicians Group located on Wellington Avenue: (970) 241-6011

Red Canyon Family Medicine located in Fruita: (970) 256-5285

Grand Junction Diagnostics at our PCP Care Village in Grand Junction: (970) 241-6014

DOCS on Call, After-Hours Clinic at our PCP Care Village in Grand Junction: (970) 255-1576

What if I have known exposure, a pending COVID-19 test, or a positive test result?

Please isolate and call us for further assistance. If visiting your primary care provider, call the office upon arrival and navigate to the DOCS on Call “West Door Entrance” on the west side of the building. This is in an effort to limit the spread of the virus. We are happy to assist and triage your needs over the telephone and consult with a medical provider if there is a need for you to be seen in person. We also have a designated respiratory clinic located in our after-hours clinic to help limit exposure to healthy patients. We appreciate your willingness to assist us in our goal to minimize the spread of COVID-19.

Please also view our section on Steps to Take if You Become Sick and Quarantine versus Isolation below.

Steps to Take if you Become Sick

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. Anyone can have mild to severe symptoms. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

  • 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

This list does not include all possible symptoms. Please call your medical provider for any other symptoms that are severe or concerning to you.

The CDC will continue to update symptoms as we learn more about COVID-19. Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness. 

When to seek emergency medical attention

Look for emergency warning signs for COVID-19. If someone is showing any of these signs, seek emergency medical care immediately:

  • Trouble breathing
  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
  • New confusion
  • Inability to wake or stay awake
  • Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone

Call 911 or call ahead to your local emergency facility: Notify the operator that you are seeking care for someone who has or may have COVID-19.

For further questions about testing positive for COVID, contact your primary care physician/office.

For further questions about exposure, contact Mesa County Public Health (970) 248-6900.

If you are sick with COVID-19 or think you might have COVID-19, follow the steps below to care for yourself and to help protect other people in your home and community: 

Wear a mask over your nose and mouth.
Monitor your symptoms.
Get tested and quarantine while test results are pending.
Stay home except to get medical care.
Clean your hands often.
Cover your coughs and sneezes.
Avoid sharing personal household items.
Clean all “high-touch” surfaces every day.
Separate yourself from other people.
Tell your close contacts they may have been exposed to COVID-19.
Call ahead before visiting your doctor and notify them of possible COVID-19 exposure or symptoms.

Quarantine Versus Isolation

Quarantine when you might have been exposed to the virus. Isolate when you have been infected with the virus, even if you don’t have symptoms.

For people who are unvaccinated, CDC now recommends quarantine for 5 days followed by strict mask use for an additional 5 days. Alternatively, if a 5-day quarantine is not feasible, it is imperative that an exposed person wear a well-fitting mask at all times when around others for 10 days after exposure. 

Individuals who have received their booster shot do not need to quarantine following exposure, but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure. 

For all those exposed, best practices would also include being tested on day 5 after exposure. If symptoms occur, individuals should immediately quarantine until a negative test confirms symptoms are not attributable to COVID-19.

Isolation is used to separate people infected with COVID-19 from those who are not infected. People with COVID-19 should isolate for 5 days and if they are asymptomatic or their symptoms are resolving (without fever for 24 hours), follow that by 5 days of wearing a mask when around others to minimize the risk of infecting people they encounter.

At home, anyone sick or infected should separate from others, stay in a specific “sick room” or area, and use a separate bathroom (if available). Monitor your symptoms. If you have an emergency warning sign (including trouble breathing), seek emergency medical care immediately.

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

All individuals, ages 5 and older, are eligible and can receive a COVID-19 vaccine during their routine appointments with their primary care physician. Primary Care Partners strongly encourages everyone who is eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines can be given separately or together.

You can also schedule an appointment at the Mesa County Health Department. The MCPH Community Vaccination Site days and times can be found here. Appointments can be scheduled online here.

Local pharmacies administering the COVID-19 vaccine:

City Market
Walgreens
Safeway
Rite Aid 

The mobile COVID-19 Vaccine Bus also has many upcoming dates and locations. View them here.

All divisions of Primary Care Partners have the COVID-19 vaccine available. Call your doctor’s office or message your provider via our Patient Portal to find out how you can get your COVID-19 vaccine. In order to avoid long wait times or unnecessary delays, we encourage you to get your COVID-19 vaccine at your regularly scheduled appointment.

COVID-19 Vaccine for Kids

Children ages 5 years and older are able to get an age-appropriate dose of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. Your child may get a COVID-19 vaccine and other vaccines, including flu vaccine, at the same time, and will need a second shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine three weeks after their first shot.

Although children are at a lower risk of becoming severely ill with COVID-19 compared with adults, children can experience the following: 

  • Become infected with the virus that causes COVID-19
  • Get very sick from COVID-19
  • Have both short and long-term health complications from COVID-19
  • Spread COVID-19 to others

Your child may have some side effects, which are normal signs that their body is building protection. You can read more about the possible, yet rare, side effects of the vaccine here.

While COVID-19 tends to be milder in children compared with adults, it can make children very sick and cause children to be hospitalized. In some situations, complications from infection can lead to death.

COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots

Primary Care Partners highly recommends that everyone receive a COVID-19 booster vaccine, especially those at higher risk due to age, chronic illness, or work-related exposure risk. Contact your primary care physician for an appointment.

  • All individuals in Colorado who are 18 years and older are eligible for a booster vaccine. 
  • People 65 years and older, 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions, or 18 years and older who live in long-term care settings should receive a booster shot.
  • People 18 years and older should receive a booster shot at least 2 months after receiving their Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. 

You may choose which COVID-19 vaccine you receive as a booster shot. Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type they originally received, and others may prefer to get a different booster. CDC’s recommendations now allow for this type of mix-and-match dosing for booster shots.

For more information on receiving a booster shot, click here.

COVID-19 Recovery Team at Primary Care Partners

Are you struggling with COVID-19 recovery? 

Many people recover from COVID-19 within a few weeks, but others have lingering symptoms for many more weeks or even months. Our goal is to provide an all-encompassing approach to your care through Primary Care, Physical Therapy (PT), Occupational Therapy (OT), and Speech Therapy rehabilitation services for your recovery needs. 

Our COVID-19 Recovery Team can assist you, address a wide variety of symptoms, and help get you on the road to healing with a personalized recovery care plan. 

Call your provider’s office for a referral.

Connect with the COVID-19 Recovery Team here.