READ MORE: Some people who have experienced the coronavirus say diarrhoea was an early sign of the disease. The virus that causes COVID-19 can potentially disrupt your mucus production and dry out your nasal passages. Keep in mind that COVID-19 tests can produce false negatives, meaning your results say you don't have the virus when you really do. Wintry air can also compromise the moist protective lining in your airway, added David Serota, an infectious disease physician in Miami. But itchy eyes and facial pain are not typical symptoms of COVID-19. Steam Room vs. Sauna: Which Is Better for You? Inflammation is a defensive process our immune system uses to fight off COVID. COVID-19 and sinus infections share some symptoms. I wish I knew what I can do and calm his cough. Generally, [there is] no cough unless you have a lot of nasal drainage.. If you have asthma or COPD, you are probably keenly aware of what your usual cough or other respiratory symptoms are like in winter. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. There were some upper respiratory symptoms in delta and the other earlier variants, but not like were seeing with omicron, Galiatsatos says. However, some of them have said they did not experience a loss of taste or smell. Dry air and freezing temperatures can dry out your airway which includes the nasal passage and part of the throat and cause discomfort, producing a cough, runny nose or nasal congestion. But fever, muscle aches, a loss of taste or smell, nausea, and diarrhea are associated with COVID-19 and not allergies. (2020). But if you have a cough, fatigue, a fever, shortness of breath, or loss of taste or smell, theres a much greater chance you have COVID-19. No difficulty breathing. This article. 1996-2023 Everyday Health, Inc., a Ziff Davis company. Although a one-sided sore throat can be a sign of COVID-19, it can also be a symptom of: a common cold flu tonsillitis or a serious tonsil infection laryngitis strep throat canker sores If. This is the highest. Some people experience less inflammation, so they feel symptoms like irritation, dryness, or fullness. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Home remedies may also help. Aside from classic Covid-19 symptoms, according to Dr. Singh, some of the distinguishing symptoms of the Omicron variant are: runny nose stuffy nose sore throat "Omicron, [meanwhile,] is less. Certain symptoms of COVID-19 and allergies are warning signs and require immediate medical attention. Dry air and freezing temperatures can dry out your airway which includes the nasal passage and part of the throat and cause discomfort, producing a cough, runny nose or nasal congestion. This is especially true if you test too early. Keep in mind that according to the data in both the survey and the report, many people infected with omicron dont have a sore throat or any symptoms at all. But COVID-19 is much more serious than a sinus infection it can be deadly. Can a COVID-19 Vaccine Increase Your Risk of Shingles? This happens because of postnasal drip, or mucus from the nose dropping down the throat and irritating it. And during, As we go into these winter months, symptoms may be due to different things and lines get blurrier, said Stephanie Christenson, a pulmonologist and assistant professor in the d. ivision of pulmonary, critical care, allergy and sleep medicine at the University of San Francisco. Heres what to look out for and advice on how to stay safe this winter. However, she said, differentiating becomes more difficult during the winter, when all three diseases may be widespread. Unfortunately, theres no way to know what kind of infection you have without testing, according to R. Scott McClelland, MD, MPH, a professor of medicine, epidemiology, and global health and a clinical attending physician in infectious diseases at UW Medicine in Seattle. COVID-19 infection can cause upper respiratory tract infections (URI). When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Nasal congestion or runny nose. Combined with limited research that suggests vaccine immunity isn't as strong as it was prior to the arrival of variants, some healthcare experts believe that breakthrough reinfections are more likely now than in years past. Sometimes for asthma or COPD patients, it may take weeks to months to really get all the way back to baseline. When people congregate indoors where ventilation is poorer in the winter, they are more likely to experience respiratory infections caused by influenza, rhinoviruses and other coronaviruses that are not COVID-19. Although there is usually no infection, the tonsils and other tissues in the throat may swell. For symptom relief, its appropriate to take a pain reliever acetaminophen does a great job. Everyday Health is among the federally registered trademarks of Everyday Health, Inc. and may not be used by third parties without explicit permission. Most of the respiratory symptoms like nasal drainage, cough, potentially sore throat, potentially sinus issues and headaches associated with sinus issues could be seen in an allergy or COVID-19, Lee said. Shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing. In his experience, unvaccinated people tend to have more severe symptoms or a more dangerous course of COVID-19, whereas vaccinated and boosted patients who get COVID-19 typically have mild symptoms. Keep pets away from areas you spend a lot of time in, and consider installing high efficiency furnace filters with a high allergen rating. ACE2 localizes to the respiratory cilia and is not increased by ACE inhibitors or ARBs. Health officials are expressing concerns about new variants of the coronavirus. Allergies may also cause wheezing, she said, especially in people with asthma. In addition, if someone in your household has COVID-19, follow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s guide for disinfecting. This may be due to omicrons many mutations, he suggests. Vaccinated individuals also can get COVID-19, although their risk of infection is far lower than for unvaccinated individuals. Is it a cold or sinus infection -- and am I contagious? 2023 Dotdash Media, Inc. All rights reserved, Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. FDA Panel Recommends Approval of First RSV Vaccine: What to Know, CDC Says Flu Shot Was Effective for Many Adults and Most Kids: What to Know, COVID-19 Pandemic: A 3-Year Retrospective on Masks, Vaccines, and Immunity, Norovirus: Why Cases are on The Rise and How to Avoid It, Can Bird Flu Infect People? Experts Answer Questions About the Outbreak, Marburg Virus Outbreak: What to Know About the Signs and Symptoms, at least 10 days from the time symptoms onset, once you go at least 24 hours with no fever and without taking fever-reducing medication, until your other symptoms show improvement, lips, nail beds, or skin that appears pale, gray, or blue. Features, evaluation, and treatment of coronavirus (COVID-19). Allergies can cause a sore throat without fever in kids or adults, says Patel. Craig Spencer, MD, an assistant professor and emergency medicine physician at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, frequently tweets about what he sees while treating COVID-19 patients in the ER. . There's clear evidence that XBB.1.5 replicates faster than other variants that affected under vaccinated communities earlier in the pandemic; CDC data illustrates that in January alone, infection rates associated with the variant climbed upwards of 8 to 10% per week, a concerning rate. Compared to COVID-19, the common cold doesn't seem so bad but it can still put you out with a sore throat, stuffy nose and malaise. Symptoms of COVID-19 typically appear two to 14 days after exposure to the virus. Weisenberg seconds that: The main difference between the vaccinated and boosted and the unvaccinated is that the risk of severe disease is much higher in the unvaccinated.. "You cannot tell the difference between flu and COVID-19 by symptoms alone because some of the symptoms are the same," the agency shares on its website, advising Americans to immediately get tested to determine if they are infectious to others. Sherrill Brown, M.D., medical director of infection prevention for Los Angeles-based AltaMed Health Services, tells Good Housekeeping that the XBB.1.5 variant is the most infectious strain that experts have come across recently which officials at the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed in January, per ABC News. Polymer chain reaction (PCR) tests look for the virus's genetic material in your nose. Even a specialist in infectious disease cant determine that, he says. Some healthcare providers noticed that sore throat was a common symptom early in the omicron COVID-19 wave, saysScott Weisenberg, MD, an infectious diseases specialist and a clinical associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health in New York City. The WHO is reporting a rare outbreak of the Marburg virus. However, some research suggests that COVID-19 symptoms have changed as the disease mutates and affects different populations. All a little uncomfortable, but fine, Dr. Spencer tweeted as the first wave of omicron began to hit the United States in December 2021. The information in this article is current as of the date listed. COVID-19 is a respiratory infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The loss of taste or smell experienced by COVID-19 patients usually feels highly unusual to them. Keep in mind the COVID-19 vaccine isnt meant to protect you from those symptoms its really meant to protect you from severe disease, he says. Likewise, itchy eyes and nose are allergy symptoms, but not COVID-19 symptoms. Noticing any clues that point to the root cause can help. If you have a runny nose or itchy eyes, it doesnt necessarily mean you have COVID-19. Symptoms of COVID-19 include: Fever or chills Dry cough Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing Fatigue Muscle or body aches Headache New loss of taste or smell Sore throat Congestion or runny nose Nausea or vomiting Diarrhea How to protect yourself from COVID-19 Get vaccinated or if you're already vaccinated, get your booster. Can Probiotics Help Prevent or Treat COVID-19 Infection? This is a shift from earlier variants that replicated in the lower respiratory tract, in the lungs, Dr. Galiatsatos says. Use swabs as instructed: via the nose.. Sneezing, for example, was once considered a rarer symptom of a COVID-19 infection. After you have identified the cause for your symptoms, you can resume your daily activities. According to Goldstein, a strep throat will often leave your lymph nodes swollen and tender, causing pain when you swallow. Allergy symptoms usually last longer and are often seasonal. I'm having a sore throat got a lot of drainage nose has been stuffed for days sneezing coughing body hurts hot and cold. No two people experience a URI the same way. This can last a long time, even after the virus has gone. But, it would be best to try to isolate until you are clearly on the mend.. All rights reserved. However, having a sore throat alone isn't the sign of being coronavirus positive. If there is associated nasal congestion, antihistamines may be useful.. Even for people who do not have allergies, some are sensitive to wood smoke and fragrances from candles and other indoor perfumes. But Dr. Brown adds that because a majority of Americans have experienced at least one (if not more) COVID-19 infection recently, their immune systems may present signs of sickness that could be interpreted as something less serious. Anything that feels different or any increase in your usual respiratory symptoms should prompt you to isolate and inform your doctor, Christenson said. COVID-19 symptoms usually appear 2 to 14 days after exposure a window that can be wider than is typical for the flu, which usually presents symptoms within 1 to 4 days of transmission. Lots of sore throat. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Digestive symptoms, like stomach pain, might be among the earliest symptoms of COVID-19 that you experience. Its not clear if COVID-19 also increases your chances of developing nosebleeds. COVID-19 can affect and even shrink certain parts of your brain. For example, loss of taste and smell was more common with earlier COVID-19 variants, but fewer people with the Omicron variant report this symptom. Christenson stressed the importance of covering your nose and mouth with a mask while outdoors. If you talk with pediatricians in the field, they tell you that kids are presenting with symptoms associated with the common cold and other upper respiratory infections, such as headache, runny nose, sinus congestion, and sore throat, Dr. Inci Yildirim, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and a vaccinologist at Yale Medicine in Connecticut, told Healthline. (2021). Navaraa J, et al. By mild I mean mostly sore throat. In people who received only the initial vaccine series with no booster, symptoms lasted roughly eight days from omicron, compared with a little more than nine days from delta. Likewise, itchy eyes and nose are allergy symptoms, but not COVID-19 symptoms. But, Dr. Curtis said, it's more common to have other symptoms in addition to a sore throat if you have COVID. stuffy nose cough sore throat runny eyes sneezing I just got covid tested so I think I have a sinus infection or just a really bad cold but I dont know Im not having any breathing . For the latest on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) As nasal and throat symptoms become more common in COVID-19 patients the differences between the virus and allergies can be blurry. Gargling with salt water or drinking warm water or tea mixed with honey or warm water with lemon juice can all relieve pain, according to Penn Medicine. However, fewer symptoms were reported over a shorter period of time by people who had already had a vaccine, suggesting that they were feeling less seriously ill and getting better more quickly..