Do I Have Allergies or COVID-19?
The weather is warming, plants are beginning to emerge, and you may be finding yourself coughing and sneezing just a bit more than usual. While chances are the symptoms you feel are simply seasonal allergies, the fact that we are still experiencing the COVID pandemic may have you wondering if you may be infected with the coronavirus. The only way to truly know if you have COVID is to be tested, but there are some ways you can determine on your own if you may be suffering from allergy symptoms or COVID-19.
Differences Between Allergies & COVID-19
The biggest difference between allergies and the coronavirus is the cause. COVID-19 is caused by a virus, whereas allergies are your body’s immune response when exposed to an allergen, like tree or grass pollen. Allergies are not contagious and symptoms can be treated with over-the-counter or prescription antihistamine medications, or with help from an allergist. Although both allergies and COVID-19 can result in feeling congested or having a running nose, allergies will never cause you to develop a fever. You may also more commonly experience shortness of breath or difficulty breathing with a COVID infection, but not generally with allergies unless you have other respiratory conditions such as asthma.
Check Your Symptoms
By examining the symptoms you are experiencing, you may be able to determine whether you have allergies or COVID-19. The Mayo Clinic provides a simple side-by-side symptom comparison between COVID-19 and allergies:
| Symptom | COVID-19 | Allergies |
|---|---|---|
| Cough | Usually (dry) | Sometimes |
| Fever | Usually | Never |
| Muscle Aches | Usually | Never |
| Tiredness | Usually | Sometimes |
| Itchy nose, eyes, mouth, or inner ear | Never | Usually |
| Sneezing | Rarely | Usually |
| Sore throat | Usually | Rarely |
| Runny or stuffy nose | Usually | Usually |
| Pink eye | Sometimes | Sometimes |
| Nausea or vomiting | Sometimes | Never |
| Diarrhea | Sometimes | Never |
| New loss of taste or smell | Usually (early – often without runny or stuffy nose) | Sometimes |
If you still have concerns regarding whether you may be infected with COVID-19, get the answers you need with a COVID test. At Midwest Express Clinic, we offer rapid COVID-19 testing as well as the nasal swab test at all of our locations. Should your test results come back negative, we will work to determine the cause of your symptoms so you can get back to feeling your best.
