Do you have allergies, colds or COVID-19?

After a long winter, coupled with the fatigue and isolation of COVID-19, spring comes as a welcome relief. However, with a warm climate and sunny skies, seasonal allergies occur.

The era of hay fever-induced nose stuffiness is back, but when I barely stop smelling flowers with my masked and crowded nose, I say, “Do I have COVID-19 or are these? ? Only my allergies? “

In the press release, PatientFirst provides some insights. Symptoms of allergies include stuffy nose, runny nose and / or itchy nose, itchy and / or watery eyes, and sneezing. Unlike typical seasonal allergies, COVID-19 can cause fever, body aches, and chills.

Other symptoms specific to COVID-19 include loss of new taste and odor, nausea, but both allergies and coronavirus can cause cough, malaise, headache, sore throat, and stuffy nose. There is. CDC..

Another frequent spring illness is the common cold. Allergies occur when the body comes into contact with a foreign body (or allergen) that causes a reaction, but both colds and COVID-19 are caused by viruses.

Colds and COVID-19 can exhibit many common symptoms such as stuffy nose and stuffy nose, sore throat, poor smell and taste, cough and malaise, Medical News Today reports.

However, COVID-19 can cause more symptoms than a cold. According to Medical News Today, fever, body aches, and diarrhea are rare symptoms of COVID-19 in people who have a cold.

“The complexity of its common symptoms is very confusing, and what’s unique is what you have to rely on,” says Timothy Craig, a professor of medicine and pediatrics at Hershey’s Pennsylvania State University. I will.

I’m sorry, but for those who prefer a safe route or don’t want to get caught up in paranoia more than necessary, Craig says it’s a good idea to have a COVID-19 test. The CDC advises people experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 to be tested for coronavirus and to self-quarantine until the test is negative.

“Last year, at this time when we did such a limited test … it put us in real shackles, but now we have access to the test almost everywhere,” says Craig. .. “If you have any doubts, it’s better to test than not.”

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Should I have a COVID-19 test …

… What if I have seasonal allergies every year and am familiar with the symptoms I am experiencing?

Dr. Craig said: If you’ve probably had the same symptoms for years and now you have them, you’re allergic to maple, and you know that maple is in bloom, wow, there’s a lot of evidence to say that. You are probably just having symptoms of your allergy type. And I’m pretty relieved and may not be tested. But if you have any questions, they will be tested anyway before going out to the public domain.

… I already received a negative test result when I started to have allergies and colds, but what if the symptoms persist?

Dr. Craig said: You are raising the fact that the test is 100% incorrect. They may also be insensitive, which depends on the type of test you receive … especially if you have the typical symptoms of fever-so that allergies do not cause fever-and you I think I have a sore throat and a sore throat, especially if the taste and smell are gone, go back and take the test again.But if you don’t have a fever and you haven’t lost the taste or smell, you can probably rely on it [first] Test pretty well.

… What if I have already been vaccinated with COVID-19 but are experiencing some of the common symptoms of cold / allergy and coronavirus?

Dr. Craig said: None of these vaccines are 100%, so even if you get the vaccine, you can still get the virus. However, that is unlikely. Therefore, if you have allergic symptoms, are vaccinated, and the symptoms are very typical, you probably only need to treat allergies.But if you have a virus, especially a fever, I may still be cautious [and] You may limit access for a few weeks or at least 10 days or take a test … body pain, fever, sore throat, probably worth it [to get tested]..

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Craig encourages people who are usually experiencing seasonal allergies to start taking allergic medications immediately before they begin to experience symptoms.

Patient First also offers the following advice to avoid hay fever:

• Go inside on a dry and windy day
• Shower after going out to remove pollen from skin and hair
• Wear a face mask while working outdoors
• Often the floor is vacuumed
• Use an air filter and replace it frequently
• Cover the mattress and pillows and wash the bedding with hot water