Pediatrician Questions Pediatrician

How can you tell Spring allergies from the virus?

My 8-year-old daughter has been coughing and sneezing with no fever. How can you tell Spring allergies from the virus?

1 Answer

Not sure that you can. Seasonal allergies are not associated with fever. The itchy eyes, stuffy noses, and sneezing without cough suggest allergies. But the throat and airway can also react, so there may be coughing and even shortness of breath. Since COVID 19 can occur with no symptoms and/or minimal symptoms, it can be difficult to be sure. Certain clues that she has spring allergies would be worsening symptoms when outside, less symptoms when indoors. Bottom line, for the person with spring allergies, one cannot exclude Covid-19. The good news is that your daughter’s risk from COVID-19 is nil...but the risk that she could give it to her parents is high.

G. Dickinson