Nurse practitioner speaks about COVID-19, allergy symptoms

JACKSON, Tenn. — Spring is just around the corner and with it comes allergy season.

With the public on high alert of COVID-19, people with seasonal allergies may have a tough time discerning their allergy symptoms from a possible coronavirus infection.

A family nurse practitioner at Primary Care Clinic of Jackson says symptoms of coronavirus include shortness of breath, a fever and feeling ill. Meanwhile, allergy symptoms are much different.

“With simple allergies you have a runny nose, you may have some stuffiness. You generally will not run a fever, you won’t feel body aches, you won’t feel ill. That’s usually running in line with just a common cold or seasonal allergies,” nurse practitioner Nichole Rau Bruntz said.

Bruntz says allergy season normally begins when the weather starts warming up and pollen starts gathering.