Covid-19 or Seasonal Allergy: How to differentiate?

COVID-19 and seasonal allergies have many of the same signs and symptoms. However, there are some differences, knowing them can help you seek out the right treatments to provide effective relief.

Unlike COVID-19, seasonal allergies aren`t caused by a virus. Seasonal allergies are immune system responses triggered by exposure to allergens, such as seasonal tree or grass pollens.

To complicate the situation, allergy sufferers are experiencing longer allergy seasons, earlier onset, and there is just more pollen in the air. If you’re used to allergy symptoms that appear later in spring, you might find yourself second guessing if your symptoms really are: just allergies or COVID-19?

Symptom Comparisons: COVID-19 vs. Seasonal Allergies

Common symptoms of seasonal allergies

Sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, itchy nose, throat and inner ear are more likely to be allergies than a virus, but sometimes a scratchy throat can be a COVID-19 sign, especially in the omicron variant.

Take a close look at your tissue after you blow your nose. Generally, with allergic reactions, your mucus is very often clear and runny whereas with more serious infections it might be thicker and discolored.

Both allergies and COVID-19

Both allergies and COVID-19 can have nasal congestion, runny nose, lack of smell and taste, sore throat and shortness of breath or difficult breathing.

While COVID-19 can cause shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, seasonal allergies do not usually cause shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, unless a person has a respiratory condition such as asthma that can be triggered by exposure to pollen.

Common symptoms of COVID-19

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever and chills, muscle and body aches, new loss of taste or smell, and tiredness. But there are many other possible signs and symptoms. A high fever over 100 Fahrenheit (or >38 Celsius is a symptom of both COVID-19 and the flu. It`s important that you contact your doctor or clinic right away for medical advice

What`s currently in the air?

Knowing your allergy triggers is SMART.

The best way to prevent seasonal allergies is to avoid your known triggers. If you`re allergic to pollen, stay inside with windows and doors closed when pollen is high.

Wearing a cloth face mask also might provide some protection against seasonal allergies. Masks can prevent you from inhaling some larger pollen particles. However, smaller pollen particles will still be able to get through a mask. It`s also important to wash your mask after each use since a mask might carry pollen particles.

As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues to evolve and symptoms become milder, knowing the important differences between these two illnesses, allows you to take preventive measures that can help you and your environment to stay healthy.

If you or a loved one have underlying allergies while exploring the explosion of the spring season, consult with your local allergist to discuss if testing may be appropriate. An allergist can offer you the best care suited for your case and will identify the real triggers of your allergies.

Be sure, be safe and get tested. Perform a COVID-19 Antigen or PCR-test and Pinpoint your TRUE allergies with NOVOES! The NOVEOS system was developed by HYCOR to overcome the challenges laboratories are confronted with, when routinely testing for specific IgE.