HOUSTON — As nice as it is outside, not everyone is enjoying it.
The sunny skies have come with high pollen levels. We know a lot of people wondering if their runny nose is just allergies or something more serious.
“Unfortunately mild COVID is very much like mild influenza is very much like mild allergies,” said Dr. Linda Yancey, with Memorial Hermann Hospital.
Yancey said congestion, sore throat and a runny nose are very common symptoms for all three conditions. The only clear differentiator is the loss of taste and smell, which is a big red flag for COVID-19.
“My number one piece of advice if you’re feeling sick is definitely get tested to find out what you have,” Yancey said.
Even if symptoms remain mild, doctors said the big concern is spreading the virus to someone else who may develop serious symptoms.
“If you go into an urgent care center or an emergency room, they’re going to run a panel of tests. Influenza and COVID are going to be on those. They’ll be able to quickly differentiate if you have one or the other, or neither, or unfortunately sometimes both,” Yancey said.