How do I know if I have allergies or COVID-19?

When you wake up feeling a little under the weather, it can be easy to start imagining the worst. Even more so amid a pandemic. Is the tickle in your throat COVID-19? Maybe just seasonal allergies? Rather than let your mind race, use these tips to help differentiate the two illnesses.

Check your temperature

Allergies generally don't cause a fever, whereas COVID-19 does in most people. That's why one of the quickest ways to rule out COVID-19 is by taking your temperature. If it's high, especially more than 100 degrees, you should contact a healthcare professional for further direction.

Note the rest of your symptoms

Both COVID-19 and allergies have unique characteristics that can help pinpoint the nature of what's making you ill.

Common COVID-19 symptoms, most of which start gradually and get worse:

• Fever
• Shortness of breath
• Cough
• Fatigue
• Muscle aches or pain
• New loss of smell or taste

Common allergy symptoms, most of which are aggravated when you're outside:

• Itchy eyes and/or nose
• Sneezing
• Clear, runny nose
• Sore throat (if you have a lot of congestion in your sinuses and drainage in the back of your throat)

Note: The list of symptoms caused by COVID-19 continues to grow as we learn more about the disease, and some of them can overlap with allergy symptoms. For example, patients with COVID-19 occasionally experience congestion or a runny nose. However, in these cases, they often also have one or more of the most common COVID-19 symptoms listed above (e.g., congestion and a fever or a runny nose and a fever).