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Pr Alain Didier (pulmonologist-allergist)
In this period of hay fever, it is possible to confuse Covid infection with seasonal allergies. How to make the difference ? The answers of Pr Alain Didier, president of the French Society of Allergology.
At the beginning of spring, it is the return of allergies due to pollens and grasses. With the resumption of the coronavirus epidemic, allergies can be confused with contamination with Omicron or other variants of the coronavirus. How to distinguish them?
Similar but not identical symptoms
For Pr Alain Didier, allergist, it is true that the two pathologies have points in common. “The most difficult will undoubtedly be for a person who has a pollen allergy for the first time” he explains. “Allergy symptoms can then be confused with those of a cold or even contamination with Omicron. However, on closer inspection, the patient will not be quite in the same state” says the specialist.
No fever, sweats or body aches for allergies
In the case of coronavirus contamination, with the Omicron variant, symptoms are localized to the upper airways. There is a stuffy nose, a sore throat, a possible fever, a cough but also a loss of taste and smell, intense fatigue and a deterioration in general condition.
In the context of allergies,there is no fever, no sweats and low fatigue, which is nothing like that of the coronavirus” says Professor Didier. “As for the loss of taste and smell, it can be present during an allergy, but intermittently, we can regain our senses during the day”. On the other hand, it should be known that the loss of taste alone does not exist in the allergy.
Pruritus in the foreground for allergies
Another element that allows you to recognize an allergy: itching. “We have this feeling of having to scratch our eyes, often red and watery, of having a burning and itchy throat, a burning nose: so many disorders that are not the prerogative of Omicron” further specifies the allergist. “And in addition, allergies are repetitive in a very short period of time, this is also an indication“adds Alain Didier?
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Start treatment early in the year
If you are prone to spring allergies, to avoid the lot of inconvenience they cause, you can start treatment early, advises the doctor. “For example, allergy sufferers can take nasal corticosteroid therapy and antihistamine tablets, some of which are available over-the-counter in pharmacies, at the first symptoms to break the allergy cycle..
A curative treatment that reduces symptoms. Remember that the only treatment for allergy is desensitization. “A technique that works well if the right allergen is targeted. It is given in small amounts so that the body gets used to it. And after a few years, the allergies can disappear” concludes the doctor.
If in doubt, do not hesitate to do an antigen or PCR test in the laboratory or pharmacy and isolate yourself if necessary.