By Sara Narayan, MD, Allergy and Immunology Specialist, and Reviewed By Scott Paparello, DO, and Director of Infectious Disease, Emerson Hospital – A full-service, regional medical center headquartered in historic Concord, Massachusetts. (USA). March 2021.
KEY POINTS TO DETERMINE ALLERGIES OR COVID-19 INFECTION
1) Timeline and personal medical history.
- Often people with allergies have a history of seasonal allergies.
- Allergy symptoms tend to be more long-lasting than viral symptoms.
2) Allergy symptoms often respond to allergy medications. Allergies can cause a cough and / or a headache but not a fever.
3) Allergies typically make people itchy. Itchiness is not a symptom of viral illness.
4) Patients with allergies do not develop a fever. Often people with COVID-19 do.
5) Patients with allergies may also have asthma, which can cause coughing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and wheezing. COVID-19 typically does not cause wheezing.
ALLERGIES, COLD, FLU, OR COVID-19 CHECKLIST .
Use this handy chart below to identify your symptoms and help determine what health issue you may be suffering from …..
| SYMPTOMS | ALLERGIES | COLD | ‘FLU | COVID-19 |
| Body Aches | Rarely | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Chills | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Fever | No | Rarely | Yes | Yes |
| Headache | Sometimes | Sometimes | Yes | Sometimes |
| Nasal Congestion | Yes | Yes | Sometimes | Sometimes |
| Runny Nose | Yes | Yes | Sometimes | Rarely |
| Sneezing | Yes | Yes | Sometimes | Rarely |
| Watery/Itchy Eyes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Dry Cough | Sometimes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Shortness of Breath | Sometimes | Sometimes | Sometimes | Yes |
| Wheezing | Sometimes | Sometimes | Sometimes | Sometimes |
| Loss of Smell and/or Taste | Mild | Rarely | Rarely | Yes |
| Sore Throat | Sometimes | Yes | Yes | Sometimes |
| Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea | No | Sometimes | Sometimes | Sometimes |
We now move onto PART 3 and discuss Prevention Advice for the Covid-19 Pandemic. CLICK HERE
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