How To Spot The Difference Between COVID & Allergy Symptoms
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – It's the time of year when allergies kick up. Now some clinics say they are seeing a rise in patients confusing allergy symptoms with the coronavirus.
"Allergy season did not go away cause of COVID," said nurse practitioner Elyse Roelans.
According to Roelans, the pollen count has been a higher than normal. As a result, the CVS Minute Clinic where she works has seen an increase in patents worried they have COVID when it's just allergies.
"People are worried because the first sign of having any cold like symptom, they don't know whether it's COVID-19 or it's allergies," she said.
South Florida resident Axel Pantaleon was among them.
"I was worried at first that it was COVID, but I ended up getting tested, so it worked out well," added Pantaleon.
"You really feel like you're out of breath because everything is so congested, watery eyes and everything. If the symptoms are that severe, then you actually start to feel your lungs being affected, then for certain you can actually mistake it," said Marra Samaniego, who also sufferers with allergies.
According to officials, the symptom similarities between allergies and COVID include coughing, fatigue, headaches congestion and runny nose.
But there are clear differences for those with coronavirus.
"The symptoms that really starts to separate them it's going to be really severe coughing, fever, body aches, GI symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, nausea. Any shortness of breath is definitely going to be along the lines of COVID," added Roelans.
Roelans also said if you are unsure you have allergies or the coronavirus, you should get tested. And she added to help decrease allergy symptoms you should change your clothes and shoes as soon as you get home and change the AC filter often.