As South Africans prepare to welcome spring with its sunny skies, warmer weather and blooming trees and flowers, many allergy sufferers are also bracing for hay fever, triggered by pollen season.
With Covid-19 still wreaking havoc worldwide, Prof Jonny Peter, head of the UCT Lung Institute’s Allergy and Immunology Unit, points out that the pandemic is likely to make allergy sufferers hyper aware of every sneeze.
So how can you tell if you just have hay fever or Covid-19? Peter explains that while the two share certain symptoms — and it's possible to have both simultaneously — there are some key differences.
“In Covid-19, fevers, body aches and headache are common, but these are rarely associated with seasonal allergies. In contrast, an itchy nose or eyes and sneezing signal allergy symptoms and are not common in coronavirus infections.”