Ragweed Pollen High in Shreveport: Is It Allergies or COVID-19?
I think it is safe to say we are all at the point where we know someone who got COVID-19. I personally got it back a week before Christmas and was on the struggle bus for a couple of days. The day I tested positive for COVID-19 I remember telling my co-worker that my allergies had officially taken over any my "sinus infection" was past the point of tolerable. I said I needed to take an early lunch and go get some meds for my sinus infection, little did I know I would not return to work for a while.
I remember the doctor looking at me and saying "your eyes are very glossed over and it looks like you have COVID-19 let's get you tested".
It felt like the longest 15 minutes of my life getting the positive test result back. Keep in mind at that point I didn't realize I had a slight fever, I thought it was just a bad case of allergies.
According to Weather.com ragweed pollen is very high. Which is driving my allergies through the roof. However, it has made my anxiety shoot up. Is it allergies or COVID-19?
We all know of the most common signs of COVID-19 fever, fatigue, and a dry cough. However, in many cases, COVID-19 symptoms include a runny nose, a dry cough, itchy eyes, and congestion. Guess what else has those symptoms? That's right, coronavirus.
With the crazy high ragweed pollen count in the Ark-La-Tex, how do we tell the difference between COVID-19 and allergies?
Start by taking your temperature first. Allergies may be called hay fever by some, but allergies don't give you a fever like COVID-19 does.
According to WebMD.com these are the COVID-19 symptoms you need to look out for:
Fever or chills
- Dry cough
- Trouble breathing
- Body or muscle aches
- Sore throat
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Loss of taste or smell
- Congestion or runny nose
- Gastrointestinal problems like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
- Pinkeye
- Skin rash
If you have any of these symptoms remember to get tested ASAP and call your doctor. If you get allergies every single year make sure you look for symptoms that you have never experienced before.