If your hay fever symptoms become more severe and start to affect your breathing, you may have one of the new FLiRT variants of Covid – the best way to find out is to get tested.
A surge in Covid cases is causing Britons to mistake the symptoms for hay fever, with experts warning that Covid can make allergies feel more intense than usual.
As the new FLiRT variant of Covid continues to spread across the UK, Britons are urged to distinguish between the typical summer hay fever symptoms and those of the contagious strain of the virus that brought the world paralyzed in 2020. This summer we are witnessing an unusual increase in nasal congestion and intense coughing as high pollen levels collide with the rise of Covid variants, putting the country’s respiratory health at risk.
Britons are being hit by a nasty virus with symptoms that mimic hay fever, but it’s actually the contagious FLiRT variant that’s wreaking havoc. The illness presents with fever, persistent cough, sore throat, upset stomach and changes in taste and smell eerily similar to seasonal allergies.
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Dr Rhoads, vice-chair of the Microbiology Committee, told GB News that people infected with the latest FLiRT Variants They are experiencing some common and well-known symptoms: fatigue, cough and loss of smell. However, Bupa noted that while hay fever can affect smell and taste, complete loss of these senses is still more likely to be a symptom of Covid.
Symptom severity is a key differentiator, with Bupa noting that if symptoms progress to shortness of breath or a high temperature, it is more likely to be Covid, and Owen, from the University of Derby, noting that Covid testing remains the most reliable method of differentiating hay fever from the FLiRT variants.
Rebecca Owen, professor of sport and exercise at the University of Derby, told The Telegraph: “A lot of people have had Covid-19 and infections can make us more susceptible to allergies. They can trigger the immune response in what’s called mast cell activation syndrome, so although further studies are needed, it could be that some people who have been infected with Covid can develop hay fever.”
Those who have already suffered from hay fever are also experiencing more severe symptoms of Covid when they contract the virus. Hay fever usually presents as red, itchy or watery eyes. Headaches, Earache, loss of smell, as well as sneezing, coughing or a runny or blocked nose. The FLiRT variant of Covid is thought to be responsible for a 24 per cent rise in virus-related hospital admissions last month and currently accounts for around 40 per cent of all Covid cases in the UK.
Meanwhile, the number of people suffering from hay fever in the UK continues to rise every year. National Health Service Around 20 per cent of UK residents are estimated to experience reactions this summer, following a mid-June report that saw a 147 per cent rise in hay fever sufferers seeking NHS advice, the Daily Star reports.
