Am I Experiencing Allergies or COVID-19?

Allergy season has officially lifted off. Or is it allergy season? How can we be sure that our sneezing and sniffling isn’t actually due to the coronavirus?

Allergies and COVID-19 are two completely different animals, but their symptoms can sometimes look eerily similar. Our AFC Urgent Care Southcenter team further explains below.

How Are Allergies and COVID-19 Different?

COVID-19 and seasonal allergies cause two different reactions in the body. Those who have fallen ill from COVID-19 will usually experience system-wide symptoms, such as fever, body aches, chills, a sore throat, weakness and respiratory symptoms.

However, someone with allergies will be more likely to have the symptoms centered on the nose, eyes and throat, and he or she usually won’t have a fever. We’ve listed some more key differences below.

More Key Differences Between Allergies and COVID-19

  • Allergies cause itchiness, such as itchy eyes, itchy nose, sneezing and a tickle in the throat. Itchiness is usually not a symptom of COVID-19.
  • COVID-19 doesn’t usually emit many nasal symptoms. That means that if you are sneezing a lot, it’s more likely allergies causing the problem than a viral infection.
  • Allergy symptoms can last for a whole season, while COVID-19 symptoms usually last for a much shorter time period.

How Am I Supposed to Know If I Have COVID-19?

The two best ways to differentiate between allergies and COVID-19 are by checking your temperature and getting a COVID-19 test. Fever is one of the most common COVID-19 symptoms and almost never a symptom of seasonal allergies.

If you still believe you have COVID-19, walk in for a test at our AFC center. If you do get tested, you should self-quarantine at home pending test results.

Common COVID-19 Symptoms

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Shortness of breath
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Headache
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea

It can be difficult to understand what your body is trying to tell you these days. If you are experiencing symptoms of illness but you aren’t sure what you are sick with, please don’t hesitate to call or visit our AFC Urgent Care Southcenter team to get the answers you need!