It seems that many people have come down with a mysterious lurgy recently, although it’s hard to tell exactly what it is.
After all, we’re in peak hay fever season, meaning all those sneezes and sniffles could just be down some good, old-fashioned pollen.
But annoyingly there’s also a new Covid variant doing the rounds, with the group of mutations known collectively – and rather cutely – as FLiRT.
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However, the effects aren’t quite as pleasant as the names suggests, with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) saying that Covid hospital admissions increased by 24 percent last week, up to Sunday, with a rate of 3.31 per 100,000 people – up from 2.67 per 100,000 the previous week.
The only issue is that the symptoms of Covid and other common ailments like hay fever and, of course, the bog-standard cold virus, are incredibly similar.
So how can you tell the difference?
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According to Kleenex, there are a few subtle differences that might help you get to the bottom of what’s plaguing you.
Symptoms of both Covid and hay fever
There are some symptoms that both Covid and hay fever share, which may seem unhelpful at first, but could be worth bearing in mind before you jump to any conclusions.
- Coughing and wheezing - these are key symptoms of Covid and 'lesser-known symptoms' of hay fever
- Itchy throat and tight chest - an itchy throat from hay fever can lead to a cough and tight chest, which is exacerbated if you get pollen-induced asthma; remember, if you ever have trouble breathing, seek urgent medical advice
- New cough - a common symptom of Covid, a new cough can also be brought on by the itchy throat hay fever sometimes gives you; it's worth remembering severe coughs can also cause breathing difficulties and shortness of breath, which can be a medical emergency
Symptoms NOT associated with hay fever
It turns out there are two specific symptoms of Covid-19 that you won’t tend to get with hay fever, which include:
- Highly contagious: if you're ill and someone you know who doesn’t usually have hay fever suddenly comes down with symptoms, it’s likely not to be hay fever causing them
- Fever: it may sound like hay fever would have something to do with this, but it doesn't cause a rise in body temperature of anything above 37.8C.
Symptoms NOT associated with Covid
- Watery, itchy eyes
- Sneezing
- Itchy, stuffy nose
Kleenex advised: "If in doubt about these, or any other symptoms, always take recommended COVID-19 precautions and seek medical advice."
Jess Hardiman