COVID-19 vs. allergies: how to spot the difference

IN THE NEWS: Springtime offers a welcome respite from the cold and extreme weather, but it also brings with it the classic ailments that signal the start of allergy season. Or is it COVID-19? The symptoms can be remarkably similar.

UCI Health infection prevention expert Dr. Shruti Gohil spoke to Yahoo Life about how to differentiate between the two.

“Symptoms that are more likely to indicate that someone is suffering from allergies rather than COVID-19 include itchy, watery eyes, a runny nose and sneezing.”

Gohil is the associate medical director of epidemiology and infection prevention at UCI Health and an assistant professor of infectious diseases at the UCI School of Medicine. Her research interests include hospital epidemiology and infection prevention, sociodemographic and clinical contributors to hospital readmissions, and the epidemiology of sepsis.

Read more:

• [Yahoo Life] Spring allergies vs. COVID-19: what you should know ›
• Watch: Dr. Shruti Gohil joins AirTalk LIVE: COVID doctors retrospective ›
• Surviving spring allergies ›
• Caring for COVID-19 at home ›