Allergies, Covid or colds? Here’s how to tell the difference.

As summer approaches, many people with spring allergies are still suffering. And as new Covid variants circulate, experts say we could soon see a surge in cases. (Although sewage data suggests Covid cases are currently quite low.)

It can be difficult to distinguish between seasonal allergy symptoms, the first signs of coronavirus, or just a common cold.

The easiest way to get an answer is to take a Covid test. But rapid at-home tests have become harder to obtain since the public health emergency ended. Here are more tips to help you identify the source of your suffering.

Pay attention to specific symptoms

Some people with Covid may experience the worst symptoms on, say, their third infection compared to their first two. But in most cases, the more immunity a person has built up – through repeated infections, vaccinations or a combination of the two – the milder Covid symptoms tend to be.

“For most people, it’s a stuffy nose and sneezing — it’s like my allergies, of course,” said Dr. Davey Smith, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Diego.

People with allergies rarely develop high fevers; if you have a temperature above 100.4 degrees, it’s more likely it’s Covid or another viral infection, said Dr. Purvi Parikh, an allergist and immunologist at NYU Langone Health.

Covid can also cause stomach upset, causing nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, which are not usually associated with allergies. And unlike people with seasonal allergies, those with Covid also often experience body aches, said Dr. Lily Pien, an allergist at the Cleveland Clinic.

Allergies tend to be itchy, so if you scratch your eyes, ears, and throat, it’s much less likely to be Covid. Another key difference is that allergies cause “dry” symptoms, Dr. Parikh explained, meaning that allergy-related coughs usually don’t produce mucus.

Allergies and viral infections can wipe you out, but with Covid, fatigue comes on more suddenly, Dr. Parikh said. “It’s not like I’m a little tired, I need a nap,” she said. “It’s usually very debilitating.”

Time and Context Matter

Obviously, if you spent time with someone who later tested positive and you can’t stop sneezing, there’s a good chance you too have Covid. On the other hand, if you develop allergy symptoms every spring and start sniffling like clockwork when the trees have started to bloom, you can be pretty sure that allergies are the cause of your discomfort.

However, it’s possible for allergy symptoms to suddenly appear in people who didn’t have them before, Dr. Pien said. Moving to a new place can also expose you to new pollens and longer growing seasons, which could trigger an allergic reaction.

Doctors advise you to pay attention to how long you feel sick: If your sniffles persist for weeks, it’s probably allergies, said Dr. Paul Sax, clinical director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Covid can also make you sick for weeks, even outside of “long Covid”.)

And see if allergy medications, like antihistamines and nasal steroid sprays, help your symptoms. If so, allergies are likely the cause.

However, doctors emphasize, the only surefire way to determine the source of the symptoms is to carry out a test.

“Even I was fooled,” Dr Parikh said. “On some of my patients, it’s the same, until we take the Covid test.”