Allergies or coronavirus? Experts say their symptoms could be similar

Health experts say one of the many frustrating aspects of the contagious respiratory illness COVID-19 is that the symptoms resemble other conditions, including Lyme disease and the flu.

Some sniffling Connecticut residents would add seasonal allergies to that list, including Dr. Gregory Buller, chairman of medicine and associate chief medical officer at Bridgeport Hospital.

Buller said he has been among those wondering whether his symptoms are his typical allergic reactions, or something more serious.

“A lot of us seasonal allergy sufferers are asking that question,” he said.

According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, about 50 million Americans have some kind of allergy — basically a condition in which the body has an extreme response to a certain substance, known as an allergen. About 6 million children and 20 million adults have allergic rhinitis, also known as hay fever, meaning they have an allergic reaction to pollen.

Outdoor allergies are at their peak during spring and fall, though people do still suffer from them in the summer months, when some trees, grasses and other plants continue producing pollen.

Not unlike COVID-19, allergic reactions can include fatigue, coughing, sore throat and, in some cases, shortness of breath, said Dr. Michael Parry, chief of infectious disease at Stamford Hospital.

In some cases, both allergy sufferers and COVID-19 patients can suffer from a stuffy or runny nose. But, Parry said, “typically a runny nose is more likely to be allergies.” He said itchy eyes are also more closely linked to allergies than COVID-19.

Meanwhile, there are many COVID-19 symptoms that aren’t common in those with allergies and could help people determine what they have, said Dr. Julia Auerbach, medical director of Nuvance Primary Care and Pediatrics of Brookfield.

“You don’t get fever with allergies,” she said. “You don’t get diarrhea with allergies.”

Auerbach said allergy sufferers might experience some loss of taste and smell — a common COVID-19 symptom — due to nasal congestion, but it isn’t as pronounced as with COVID-19.

Buller said if people have symptoms that could be either allergies or COVID-19, their best course of action is listening to their bodies.

“If you’re feeling the same things you do every year at this time, then it’s most likely allergies,” he said. “If you really think that you’re not quite yourself, then get a (COVID-19) test done.”