You’re sneezing and coughing. Is that allergies or COVID?

The flowers are in bloom along the Ballona Creek bike path and all over Southern California. But not every coronavirus infection plays out the same way, so the absence of fever, body aches or disconnected taste buds isn’t a sure sign that you don’t have COVID. “By and large, when you get the flu or COVID-19, the predominant problems are not this intense itching you get with allergies,” Metcalfe said, adding, “Those things that suggest a wider inflammatory response outside the upper airways are what you have to look out for.” Another test: If you have allergies that plague you all year, such as a sensitivity to dust or to your cat, you should have an idea of your usual level of misery. Also, if you have asthma and your symptoms worsen, “you really need to see your doctor” even if you’re not sure whether it’s COVID, Metcalfe said. On the positive side, Metcalfe said, “you are not at high risk for something severe.” He added, “You don’t worry too much unless you get fever, chills myalgia,” the muscle aches and pains that can accompany COVID.