Have you been sneezing lately? What about a stuffy nose and a cough? It could be allergies. And of course with COVID-19 still floating around, many people will immediately think they have COVID. So how can people tell the difference? There are some differences between COVID and simple allergies where you can tell a differences.

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With cotton harvesting and traditional allergy season upon us there will be many who have a stuffy or runny nose. According to the CDC, both of those issues could be allergy related, but they could also be a sign of COVID-19. Shortness of breath, fatigue, a headache, and even a sore throat are listed as examples of both allergies and COVID. If you have itchy or water eyes, or if your symptoms include sneezing, the CDC says it's likely seasonal allergies.

While some of the above symptoms do overlap with COVID-19, the most common signs of COVID-19 continue to be fever and body chills. People with COVID also experience body ache and muscle aches. Those who have had COVID also report nausea and another big symptom of COVID has been the loss of taste and/or smell.

According to CBS Dallas, it's important to know what you are looking for, particularly those who are not vaccinated or have kids who aren't vaccinated.

Allergists say it’s important to know the signs and symptoms of both, especially for parents with kids unable to get vaccinated.

“Always check for exposures. So if your child presents to you and has you know congestion, runny nose, coughing, and you’re not really sure…check sick contacts if you can, and then monitor for fever,” said Dr. Archana Narayan, an allergist for North Texas Allergy and Asthma Associates.

Of course if you aren't sure, it's better to be safe than sorry. Those in Lubbock can visit the City of Lubbock COVID-19 testing site which is now located at 2801 50th Street in the Caprock Shopping Center. Drive through testing is done in the south parking lot from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The site will also test for the flu.

Speaking of the flu. Symptoms of flu and COVID are very similar and that is where testing will come in. You can read about the similarities and differences here.

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