Is it Allergies or Coronavirus?

Many people suffer from allergies during pollen season each spring and with the Coronavirus, distinguishing between the two can be difficult.  Dr. Michael Hollifield, Director of Emergency Services at Mountain Lakes Medical Center says when it comes to the Coronavirus watch out for a fever.  “People should be watching for a fever. Now, healthcare people do not consider 99 or 100 degrees as a fever that is called a low-grade temperature and it is not called a fever.  So, a fever starts at 101 degrees Fahrenheit. So, they need to be looking for fever, meaning 101 Fahrenheit or higher, and they need to be looking for signs of respiratory distress.  Respiratory distress doesn’t just mean that you have a cough, it means that you also have a feeling that you are not getting in enough air. Those are the primary things that we would expect to see in a patient that we would hospitalize for COVID-19.”  As a cough is a common symptom for both the Coronavirus and allergies, Dr. Hollifield says the difference between the two is upper and lower respiratory diseases. “COVID-19 is going to be more of a lower respiratory system event, meaning that you feel you cannot get enough air into your lungs as opposed to allergies, which are going to be things like runny nose, dry cough, mild sore throat, and things of that nature, those are upper respiratory symptoms.  So, if you start feeling like you cannot get enough air with your respirations for your body’s needs then that implies lower respiratory disease. So, if you get a fever over 101 Fahrenheit, you know a strict allergy is not going to cause a fever over 101 Fahrenheit. So, if you get that and you start having air hunger, would be another way to phrase it or feeling like you can’t get your wind then that is time to come and let one of the physicians check you.”  If you develop emergency warning signs for the Coronavirus such as trouble breathing and persistent pain or pressure in the chest, call your healthcare provider immediately.