Is it Allergies or COVID-19? How to Tell the Difference
Category: Healthy Living
Author Vanessa
Posted on March 27, 2020
Vanessa is a health writer and blogging expert. Her specialities are medicine, health and wellness. She is proud to call Vancouver, BC her home where she enjoys the ocean and mountains with her dog Mr. ChowChow.

Now that the warmer temperatures are coming up, you may notice your seasonal allergies start to pop up again. You may possibly experience an allergy cough and are not sure if you should reach out to your doctor.
Yet, in today's uncertain times, there's always the possibility that it could be something more. Luckily there are ways to tell the difference without having to rush to the hospital.
Every time we hear someone cough these days, we all panic a little bit inside. Is this a regular allergy cough or is it the Coronavirus? Continue reading to discover the difference between allergies and Coronavirus.
Is It An Allergy Cough?
Many of us who have years of experience suffering from allergies are all too familiar with the symptoms involved. They can include red eyes, itchy eyes, a tickle in your throat, runny nose and sneezing.
Allergies can also cause you to cough and be fatigued. Although these are similar symptoms to the Coronavirus, there are other noticeable differences to keep an eye on.
How to Tell if You Have Allergies
Typically with allergies, you won't find that you have a fever or muscle aches. You also won't find yourself to be as severely tired as if you had the virus. The Coronavirus includes these symptoms. It is also known to progress more rapidly.
If you tend to have shortness of breath related to allergies, then rest assured that this symptom, as it relates to coronavirus, is far more severe.
Coronavirus has also been shown to cause intestinal problems such as diarrhea and stomach aches. However, these symptoms are less common.
Dry coughing, postnasal drip, and a runny nose are all to be expected with allergies. But it is rare that you would have a fever or experience such extreme shortness of breath that the coronavirus causes.
No Fever, No Problem?
Fevers running 100 degrees or higher are found in many of the documented cases of COVID-19. However, having a high temperature is not a symptom of allergies. It is also worth noting that allergies can not be spread from person to person the way the coronavirus can be.
Another sign that it is allergies and not coronavirus is that they tend to show up as more itchy symptoms such as itchy eyes, nose, and throat. You may even have some facial pain. This is not seen with the coronavirus.
Ease Your Nerves
One way to further confirm that you have allergies and not the coronavirus is to reflect on your past experiences with allergies. Do you typically suffer from spring allergies?
If you have had problems in the past, and have a known allergy pattern, then you can expect that you would begin to have symptoms. Allergies are chronic and the symptoms of allergies can occur on and off over the course of weeks, months, or even years.
Allergies can also be affected by your location, time of year, day, and the weather. Whereas symptoms of the coronavirus will occur regardless of the time or where you are (indoors or outdoors).
How to Stay Safe
Now that you know the most common symptoms of the coronavirus are fever, tiredness, and dry cough, you may be wondering how you can stay safe.
If you are prone to respiratory health issues, then it's especially important for you to follow the recommendations of specialists. Typically taking an antihistamine or decongestant can help with annoying allergy symptoms.
Social distancing is still important even if you feel your symptoms are most likely allergies. People who suffer from respiratory and lung conditions including asthma are at a higher risk of getting more sick with the virus.
Therefore asthma caused by allergies can make you more vulnerable if you were to be exposed.
Keeping your distance from others by self-isolating at home and avoiding leaving your house are all strongly recommended. You should maintain at least six feet of distance from others if you are required to go outside.
You should also wash your hands more often and thoroughly. Avoid touching your face and eyes as much as possible.
If you know of someone who is sick or who has traveled recently, you should avoid spending time with them.
Have a Fever?
If you are struggling with shortness of breath and/or a fever, it doesn't necessarily mean you have the coronavirus.
The coronavirus also shares symptoms with the cold and flu. These are also caused by viruses so they have some similarities. However, there are still ways you can differentiate these illnesses.
With the cold and flu, you may have a fever, however, shortness of breath is not typically one of the symptoms. Although, it could be a symptom of when the flu has progressed to pneumonia.
If this is the case, then whether you have pneumonia or potentially the coronavirus, you will need to contact your healthcare provider for help.
Stay Updated
Although these symptoms have been documented for the majority of COVID-19 cases, it's important to keep in mind that there is still a lot we don't know about the virus.
That means that new information is being shared every day. It's important to stay notified of any changes or new insights that are discovered concerning the coronavirus.
Put Your Mind At Ease By Knowing the Difference Between Allergy Cough and Covid-19
If you are still concerned that your symptoms may be something more, you should contact your personal healthcare provider for assistance.
Whether or not your symptoms are in fact being caused by the coronavirus, if you are feeling under the weather it's important to take care of your health.
We hope these common signs and symptoms of if you have an allergy cough or something more will help guide you to the right course of action for you!
If you need to stock up on supplies to get you through this allergy-season check out our amazing prices on medications that can help you.