While the symptoms of coronavirus and hay fever are broadly similar, there are a few differences between them – here’s everything you need to know in light of the new Nimbus Covid strain
A new strain of coronavirus has landed in the UK, while hay fever is ramping up with the onset of the summer season. But how do you tell the difference between the two?
The latest variant is known as NB.1.8.1 and has been named ‘Nimbus’. A total of 13 cases had yesterday been confirmed in the UK and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says the strain is making up a ‘growing proportion’ of Covid cases worldwide.
Certain key symptoms have been identified which could distinguish the new form of Covid from hay fever. One is a so-called ‘razor blade throat’, which is characterised by a sharp, stabbing pain while swallowing.
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Doctor Mohamed Imran Lakhi told the Mirror: “People commonly report a severe sore throat, persistent fatigue, mild cough, fever, muscle aches, and nasal congestion. Some also experience digestive issues like nausea or diarrhoea, which isn’t always typical with Covid variants.”
Otherwise known as allergic rhinitis, hay fever is most common during spring and summer. Symptoms usually aren’t serious – a blocked nose is usually the most troublesome and red, watery and itchy eyes can be another plaguing problem.
Although a blocked nose due to hay fever can affect your smell or taste, completely losing your ability to taste or smell is more likely to result from coronavirus. Having a temperature or a cough – both uncommon with hay fever – are two further symptoms that could indicate you are suffering from Covid, not allergies.
The most common symptoms of hay fever are:
- sneezing
- a blocked or runny nose (known as rhinorrhoea)
- itchy eyes, nose, throat, and roof of your mouth
- red or watery eyes
- postnasal drip (mucus dripping down your throat from the back of your nose)
- headache, caused by a stuffy nose
The key symptoms for any strain of Covid are:
- a high temperature
- a new, continuous cough
- a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)
- fatigue
- muscle aches
- sore throat
- shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- headache
Health officials have said people should ‘stay indoors’ if they feel they have Covid symptoms and other countries where the variant is spreading have reported an increase in the number of hospitalisations. But Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, the Deputy Director at UKHSA, offered reassurance about the severity of the new strain.
He said: “NB.1.8.1 has been detected in small numbers in the UK to date, but international data suggests that it is growing as a proportion of all Covid-19 cases. Based on the available information so far however, there is no evidence to suggest that this variant causes more severe disease than previous variants, or that the vaccines in current use will be less effective against it.”