HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Spring is here, and so is the pollen.
Nasal allergies are very common, especially in the Huntsville area. With COVID-19 still spreading, local doctors say it's important you know the difference in symptoms.
Allergies and COVID-19 have some similar symptoms like headache, runny nose, sore throat, and fatigue. Because you can have both at the same time, it can be easy to dismiss a mild case of COVID-19 for allergies.
Infectious Disease Specialist, Dr. Ali Hassoun, said, "With COVID-19, besides the sneezing and runny nose and sometimes a little bit of a sore throat, then on top of that, you can start having worsening of these symptoms."
Doctors say if you're not feeling well and aren't sure if it's allergies or COVID, the safest bet is to get checked out.
"If you think this is your allergies, take your usual allergy medicine, but if that continues for more than 48 hours without improvement and you know you possibly had exposure, you probably are going to need to be tested," said Dr. Hassoun.
Doctors say if you are sneezing or have watery eyes, it's probably just allergies. If you have a high fever or lose your sense of taste suddenly, it's time to get tested for COVID-19.
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