Common symptoms between pollen allergy and COVID-19 are rare, but they can be confusing
According to the conclusions of an experiment conducted by German researchers from Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Helmholtz Zentrum München, Pollen levels in the air are higher and higher rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection can be observed in it.
Given this, many people who are allergic to pollen are concerned about the possibility of an increased infection with the Coronavirus. The immune system of a person with an allergy functions like a person that is not dependent on its defense function against microorganisms, as the Spanish Society of Allergy Spanish Clinical Immunology (SEAIC) indicates.
The symptoms common to pollen allergy and COVID-19 are rare, because the former causes discomfort at the level of the nose, from itching, congestion, dripping, or sneezing. But it is not related to distress or fever. In addition, the symptoms of allergies are completely intermittent, as they appear when in the open air and on windy days, and disappear after entering the house, as they say from the entity.
SARS-CoV-2 that develops coronavirus disease
Members of the Chair of Environmental Medicine at the Technical University of Munich collected data on airborne pollen concentrations, weather conditions, and SARS-CoV-2 infection, taking into account variation in infection rates from day to day and the total number of positive tests. And so they showed it Pollen in the air can account for, on average, 44 percent of the variance in infection rates. In some cases, humidity and air temperature also play a role. During periods without lockdown regulations, infection rates averaged 4% with every increase of 100 airborne pollen pills per cubic meter.
Symptoms of allergic rhinitis usually subside quickly after taking antihistamines and there is no fever, unless it is complicated by acute sinusitis. In a mild coronavirus infection, the symptoms are more like a cold, With more persistent nasal congestion, with thicker mucus and a yellow-green color. The other signs associated with it are Sore throat, fatigue, depression, and muscle aches. If the infection progresses and becomes severe, a feeling of shortness of breath will appear.
”A dry cough is a common symptom of many diseases. If this cough is caused by pollen, it will appear when the patient is outside and it will decrease when the patient uses a bronchodilator. On the other hand, an asthmatic cough in general will not be accompanied by a fever or muscle pain. However, the cough of the coronavirus is persistent and does not go away with medications, “as they determined from the Spanish Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
High concentrations of pollen weaken the immune response in the respiratory system to viruses that can cause coughs and colds. When the virus enters the body, infected cells generally send messenger proteins. This is the case for SARS-CoV-2. These proteins, known as interferon, signal to neighboring cells to ramp up their antiviral defenses to keep the invaders at bay. In this way, the sufficient inflammatory response is activated to fight viruses.
The risk of contracting COVID-19 is related to the number of pollen grains
While people with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk of developing severe COVID-19, People who suffer from allergies do not have a weakened immune system. Your allergic reaction is actually an overreaction from the immune system. Among people with a certain degree of asthma, people with more severe disease tend to be in a group at risk of developing viral infections, especially if their asthma is not well controlled.
According to one of the authors and professor of environmental medicine at Munich Technical University, Claudia Tradell Hoffmann, he warns people at high risk to monitor pollen forecasts in the coming months and says: “Use a particulate filter mask when pollen concentrations are high can keep both virus and pollen out of the machine. Respiratory system. “
Read on:
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