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It’s not the best time to have the sniffles.
I was talking to a friend of mine recently who regularly suffers from spring pollen allergies. It got really awkward for her when she was out grocery shopping and had to clear her throat, which prompted everyone nearby to turn and stare daggers at her. People are on edge about respiratory illnesses right now, so you want to do whatever you can to keep your allergies in check, for the sake of both your health and not inciting panic.
If you enjoy spending time in your backyard, keep an eye on local pollen levels. Some parts of the world don’t have to worry about this at all, while others get it so bad it turns car windshields yellow. Check the weather report for your area; there will usually be a pollen report as well. Even if you’re not allergic to whatever pollen is prevalent right now, you should still try to keep it from clinging to your clothes. Shower at night if you can, after you’ve spent time outside. If you shower and then go outside, that pollen is going to be stuck to you for the entire rest of the day.
If it’s really hot and windy, go inside until it dies down. If you have allergy meds, prescription or over-the-counter, make sure to take them before your allergy symptoms get really bad. If you have to leave the house, well, you’ve probably already been wearing a mask, so just keep doing that. That’ll keep pollen away from your nose and mouth.
Remember that the primary symptoms of COVID-19 are shortness of breath and a fever. If you’re just sneezing and clearing your throat a lot, it may just be allergies. Just be careful of how long you spend outside, and allergy symptoms should gradually die down on their own.
