O'Keefe said some symptoms typical of perennial and seasonal allergies, which also might include sneezing and itching, can indeed overlap with those associated with COVID-19. "It's been quite stressful for these patients because the symptoms can be confused with COVID-19," O'Keefe said. "Anything that's not affecting the respiratory tract would certainly be more in keeping with COVID-19," O'Keefe said, citing muscle aches, fever and nausea as examples. Dr. Andrew O'Keefe says allergies are more likely to affect the upper respiratory tract, whereas typical COVID-19 symptoms such as the cough, which affect the lower respiratory tract, are less common among allergy sufferers. (Dale Molnar/CBC)For those experiencing symptoms, O'Keefe said, a key indicator to consider is whether or not they've had them before.

Source: CBC News June 13, 2021 14:48 UTC