GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – Mold and pollen counts are high, leading to a lot of sneezing and coughing and itchy eyes. But how can you tell if those symptoms are related to allergies or something more serious like coronavirus?
Fond du Lac County Public Health Officer Kim Mueller said people who thought they had seasonal allergies went to a gathering. They ended up testing positive for COVID-19 and spreading it to others.
“In interviewing our cases, we are currently identifying that people are saying they went to a party because they thought they had seasonal allergies, later to find out they get a COVID test and it comes back positive,” says Mueller.
There are some differences between a response to allergies and an illness from coronavirus.
Prevea Health President and CEO Dr. Ashok Rai says a runny nose is not a common COVID-19 symptom. However, headaches and sore throats are symptoms of the virus.
If you take allergy medication but the symptoms are not going away, it could be a sign that you have COVID-19.
“If your symptoms, and they’re pretty typical allergy symptoms, are controlled by medications that you would normally take–and that may be a nasal spray, a tablet, a pill, an allergy shot–if those symptoms are not being controlled, you have to look at other things like COVID-19 and get tested,” says Dr. Rai.
Anyone with at least one symptom of COVID-19 (headache, fever, sore throat, muscle aches, chills, cough, new loss of taste or smell) can get a free test.
Not sure how to get a coronavirus test? CLICK HERE to find a testing location near you.
CLICK HERE to view AllergyTrack on wbay.com.