Spring’s in the air… and so is pollen. But these days, a runny nose or sneezing fit doesn’t just make you reach for tissues—it makes you wonder, “Wait… is this hay fever, or did I catch something worse?”
Welcome to the age of allergy anxiety. COVID-19 is still hanging around in waves, and hay fever (aka allergic rhinitis) shows up like clockwork each year, causing sniffles, itchy eyes, and sinus pressure that weirdly feel suspiciously like early COVID symptoms. So how do you actually tell the difference?
Hay fever isn’t caused by hay and it’s not a fever. It’s an allergic response to pollen, dust mites, mold, or pet dander. Your immune system overreacts to these harmless particles like they’re invaders, leading to inflammation in your nose, throat, eyes, and sinuses.
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It’s super common especially from late March to September when pollen counts go wild. Depending on where you live, tree pollen starts first, followed by grass, and finally weed pollen in late summer.
The early symptoms
Let’s say you wake up with a scratchy throat and a mild headache. Cue panic.
Here’s where it gets confusing—both hay fever and COVID-19 can cause:
- A runny or blocked nose
- Sneezing
- Sore throat
- Tiredness
- Headache
- Cough (especially from postnasal drip in hay fever)
But the why and how long behind the symptoms often differ.
COVID-19 symptoms
COVID tends to sneak in like a full-body invader. Early on, you might feel “off”—chills, muscle aches, fatigue that hits like a truck. Fever is a common red flag. And loss of taste or smell? That’s a signature COVID move, especially if it happens suddenly without a blocked nose.
COVID symptoms usually come on quickly and worsen over 2–3 days. You might start with a sore throat or fatigue, and then by day 2 or 3, you’ve got a hacking cough, fever, or worse.
Key clues it’s probably COVID-19: sudden loss of taste or smell, fever or chills, body aches, shortness of breath, nausea or diarrhea. Symptoms appear abruptly and get worse over a few days
Hay fever is usually more of a face attack
You’ll feel it in your eyes, nose, and throat—sometimes even in your ears. Itchy, watery eyes are a classic giveaway. And the congestion or sneezing fits often follow a very predictable pattern—worse in the morning, better after a shower, or triggered by walking past a blooming tree.
Plus, if it happens every spring or always gets worse when you mow the lawn, there’s your answer.
Key clues it’s probably hay fever are itchy or watery eyes, no fever at all, symptoms are seasonal or triggered by outdoors. It improves with antihistamines and the sneezing fits or nasal itching that don’t turn into body aches
The sneeze test
Yes, both conditions can make you sneeze. But hay fever sneezes usually come in bunches—like rapid-fire explosions. COVID-related sneezing is much less common. If your sneezing is uncontrollable and paired with itchy eyes or ears, that leans heavily toward hay fever.
Taste and smell
If you suddenly lose your ability to taste your coffee or can’t smell your shampoo, but your nose isn’t even that blocked, that’s a huge red flag for COVID-19.
In hay fever, smell and taste can dull a bit—but mostly because your nose is stuffed, not because the virus is messing with your nervous system.
How to be sure: Rapid tests and allergy meds
If you’re still in doubt, take a COVID-19 rapid antigen test. They’re quick, and they’re a good first step. Another trick? Try an over-the-counter antihistamine. If your symptoms improve in an hour or two, it’s likely hay fever. COVID doesn’t care about allergy meds.