By John Carney
COVID cases in Fermanagh are spreading as sufferers confuse the virus’s milder symptoms for hay fever.
Hay fever numbers in the North have soared recently because of the very high pollen levels which occur during warm weather in the spring and summer season as temperatures rise.
Coughing, sneezing, and runny nose are symptoms of Covid and hay fever, with the latter illness affecting millions of people, especially at this time of year.
But as we move into the summer, this crossover means they can be easily mistaken for each other, and allergies such as hay fever are creating a medical grey area.
“There are symptoms that both have in common and one can be mistaken for another,” Enniskillen pharmacist Paul Hughes explained. “Coughing, sneezing, and runny nose are common with both. You can also get a headache and experience some fatigue as well as a diminished sense of smell.”
Because of immunity through vaccination or prior infection, people today often get milder Covid symptoms than before and therefore may confuse it with allergies such as hay fever. But there are specific ways to tell between the two illnesses.
“The most significant difference (between the two) is a high temperature. Hay fever doesn’t cause a high temperature
“You will cough much more continuously with Covid too and it tends to be a rougher cough,” Mr Hughes said.
“Generally, people who suffer from hay fever every year tend to know the symptoms from before. But if these symptoms are worse than they are used to, then they could have Covid, so it’s very much up to them to get tested.”
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