COVID-19 or allergy? These diseases can be confused, but there are also differences. The doctor explains

Allergies can be as high as 40 percent. Poles and this percentage is still growing. In an interview with Medonet, prof. Andrzej Emeryk said that while people with an allergic disease are not more likely to be infected with coronavirus, a certain condition must be met. The specialist also admitted that allergies and COVID-19 can be confused. What symptoms distinguish these two diseases?

1. People with allergies are no more likely to be infected with SARS-CoV-2. There is also no greater risk of severe disease, hospitalization and death.
2. However, this applies to people who are undergoing treatment for an allergic disease and who strictly follow the principles of therapy. People who do not do so for various reasons do not have a higher risk of coronavirus infection
3. Allergic disease and COVID-19 can be confused. This is especially true of allergic rhinitis and its exacerbation and the onset of SARS-CoV-2 infection
4. What symptoms distinguish an allergic disease from COVID-19? Prof. Emeryk explained in an interview
5. In the next part of the interview, prof. Emeryk talks about vaccination against COVID-19 in people with an allergic disease. There is something to fear?
6. You can find more up-to-date information on the TvoiLokony home page

Monika Mikołajska / Medonet: Allergy sufferers are on the rise in Poland. It is estimated that allergies may be 40 percent. of us, this percentage may soon be as high as 50 percent. So let me ask the key question today: are allergy sufferers exposed to a more severe course of COVID-19? At the beginning of the pandemic, there were voices saying yes. What is the current state of knowledge?

Prof. dr hab. n. med. Andrzej Emeryk: Many experts have spoken on this subject, and indeed our views on the risk of COVID-19 in allergic patients have changed in these months. At first we thought an allergy was likely to be more likely to be infected, but now we know that this is not the case. People with allergies are no more likely to be infected with SARS-CoV-2. Just as there is no higher risk of severe disease, hospitalization and death.

However, the matter is not that simple. The latest global data shows that high concentrations of grass pollen are associated with an increase in COVID-19 incidence. It turns out that pollen can carry virus particles, and what’s more, they make the body’s immune response to SARS-CoV-2 weaker.

Does what we said, namely that people with allergies are generally not more likely to be infected with COVID-19 than others, also apply to those who do not treat their allergies or only suspect they have it or do not know about it at all? There are a lot of such people.

People who do not treat their allergic disease for various reasons have a higher risk of coronavirus infection. Before explaining why, I would like us to distinguish between allergy and allergic disease. Allergy is not a disease, it is a condition in which a person can be generally shown allergic. When we talk about allergic disease, we focus on the specific symptoms.

Back to the topic. Patients who undergo treatment for an allergic disease and who strictly follow the treatment guidelines have a low risk of developing COVID-19. It is basically the same as population risk. This applies to all allergic diseases, and certainly the two most common ones, which are asthma and allergic rhinitis.

Meanwhile, our Polish epidemiological data from the last 15 years show that at least half of Poles with an allergic disease do not know that they probably have such a problem, and even if they do, they do not receive treatment, but take over-the-counter medications and exist. Remember that the lack of treatment for a chronic disease, such as an allergic disease, increases not only the risk of developing COVID-19, but also a severe course of infection. That is why we want our patients to receive treatment, especially in the times of a pandemic.

Are there any symptoms that should illuminate a warning light in a person unaware of an allergic disease?

We are in the pollen season, so the most common symptoms that may currently indicate a problem are, among others paroxysmal bursts of sneezing, watery and itchy eyes, itchy nose, scratchy throat, runny nose, especially when it occurs outside. All of these may be symptoms of allergic rhinitis, or in the medical terminology, allergic rhinitis.

There may also be a situation where only one symptom occurs – e.g. a sudden cough that appears after contact with an allergen and will last longer than five – 10 days, as in an average viral infection … Then we can also suspect that we are dealing with an allergic disease. Importantly, in the case of pollen allergy, these symptoms are seasonal.

Runny nose, cough, sore or scratchy throat … Some of the symptoms mentioned by the Professor can also be applied to COVID-19. Is it possible to confuse the two diseases?

Yes, they can be confused, especially when it comes to allergic rhinitis and its exacerbation with the onset of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Some symptoms are similar, but there are also differences. And they are worth paying attention to. Let’s take a look at this.

Watery rhinitis is rare in COVID-19, while allergic rhinitis is a common symptom. Nasal blockage occurs in coronavirus infection, but it is much more common in allergic rhinitis, and the severity is also different. Loss of smell is quite characteristic of COVID-19, especially the primary virus, though we know it’s less common in the UK variant. There is no such thing in the initial stage of allergic rhinitis. Nasal itching is very common in nasal allergic disease, but not in COVID-19. The same goes for itchy eyes. Importantly, allergic rhinitis does not develop breathing difficulties – in SARS-CoV-2 infection, we know that it is. A sore throat occurs in both diseases. Weakness of the body and muscle pains are typical of the coronavirus, we do not see them in allergic rhinitis.

Of course, in the event of the appearance of these symptoms, we consult a doctor, especially if we have not experienced these symptoms so far. We absolutely do not wait for it to “go away” – this may be a signal of an early coronavirus infection. It may also be evidenced by increasing cough and breathing difficulties.

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