Allergy or COVID? Experts say the symptoms are different, but it’s best to take precautions

When you feel a sneeze or tickling throat, an alarm bell begins to ring in your head.

Is it a seasonal allergy or the beginning of COVID-19 infection?

Spring pollen can cause sneezing, wheezing, and watery eyes in allergic patients, but allergists in Toronto should take precautions if seasonal symptoms begin to show more common symptoms in COVID cases. Says is the best.

“There’s a real risk here, or at least a real temptation. Minimize the symptoms and get rid of them.” Well, that’s allergy. Let’s see what happens. “Head Dr. Peter Vadas said. Doctor of Allergy and Immunology Clinic at St. Michaels Hospital.

“But if it turned out not to be an allergy and you were out and thinking about potentially spreading this infection, you did a great deal of harm to the public and yourself. ”

The Mayo Clinic website states that seasonal allergies, also called hay fever, cause “flu-like signs and symptoms such as runny nose, itchy eyes, congestion, sneezing, and sinus pressure.”

Hay fever is not caused by common colds or viruses like COVID-19. Rather, it is an allergic reaction to either indoor allergens such as pet dandruff, or outdoor allergens that tend to increase in early spring.

Having received an influx of questions about allergic symptoms in the last few weeks from a coronavirus pandemic, Verdas said it will bring two major allergens in early spring-the pollen of trees in the air, which can travel from a distance, And outdoor mold spores caused by rain-moistened soil.

Grass pollen will appear in late spring, around May and June, Vadas added. Checking weather forecasts for pollen and mold counts can help determine if the symptoms are due to outdoor allergens or other causes, he said.

“People have expressed concerns during this time because there are some (allergic) symptoms that are similar to those seen with COVID patients,” Vadas said. “So it causes that level of anxiety. People are very much in tune with this.”

The main difference between allergies and COVID-19 is the presence of the fever normally associated with coronaviruses.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) listed other common symptoms of COVID-19 as coughing, shortness of breath or dyspnea, chills, muscle aches, headaches, sore throat, and loss of new taste and smell. I am.

Some, such as coughing, can overlap with hay fever.

But Vadas says he should be aware of multiple symptoms. If only one is present, COVID-19 may not be the cause.

“It’s usually part of the constellation of other symptoms that help distinguish it,” he said. “And the other big difference to this is treatment.

“While antihistamines help reduce or minimize the symptoms of seasonal allergies, they cannot reduce or minimize the symptoms associated with COVID-19.”

According to Badass, people are convinced that the symptoms are allergic and need protection from the coronavirus. People who have runny nose, itchy eyes, or tears should be especially aware of not touching their faces.

He added that coronavirus precautions also do not protect against allergens. A cloth or surgical mask that does not adhere to the face does not completely prevent pollen.

Vadas says seasonal allergies tend to show a similar pattern each year. If you have symptoms every spring, it is probably hay fever. However, if you are worried that you have recently developed hay fever, you may need to wait for the hay fever test until the pandemic is over.

Currently, most allergy clinics are closed to less important patients, so skin tests that are usually done to detect hay fever are not available. Blood tests are another option, but Vadas says they have drawbacks, such as long wait times for results.

“It also requires a trip to the lab, which is not always the best thing to do at the moment,” he added. “We want to keep people crowded, especially from health care facilities.”

Healthcare professionals and immunocompromised people say Vadas should be tested for COVID-19 if they are worried that their symptoms may not be entirely consistent with seasonal allergies.

“I advise you not to do anything loose about this when the situation is unclear,” he said. “If someone works in a healthcare or nursing home, or if they are at high risk … these individuals will need to take steps to find out if they have it or not. There is.

“They need to call their telemedicine or their doctor or go to an assessment center to find out.”

This report by Canadian Press was first published on April 28, 2020.