Hay fever season.
However, there are still many people infected with the new Corona Omicron strain.
Is this "sneezing" or "snot" symptom hay fever?
Or is it the new corona?
Here is a summary of what to do when in doubt, what to watch out for, and what to think about.
Symptoms very similar to Omicron strain and hay fever
According to otolaryngologists, the main symptoms of hay fever are ...
sneezing, runny nose, stuffy nose, itchy eyes, malaise / dullness, olfaction disorder, fever, sore throat / sneezing, coughing, mild headache, ears. Itching
On the other hand, it is a symptom of the new Corona Omicron strain.
Fever (66.6%), cough (41.6%), general malaise (22.5%), headache (21.1%), non-cough respiratory symptoms (12.9%), nausea and vomiting (2.7%), diarrhea (2.3%) , Sneezing / taste disorder (0.8%), etc.
(Summary of "HER-SYS" data by National Institute of Infectious Diseases)
According to another survey,
sneezing (45.1%), fever (32.8%), sore throat (32.8%), nasal discharge (20.5%), olfaction disorder (1.6%), dysgeusia (0.8%)
(National Institute of Infectious Diseases Epidemiological Survey)
According to a survey by a group of researchers in the United Kingdom, 60% of people with Omicron strains "sneeze". There was also a report that there was a symptom.
Although there are individual differences in symptoms, both pollinosis and the new coronavirus have similar symptoms centered on "sneezing" and "snot".
Many people are already suffering from these symptoms, but I think they may be worried about whether the symptoms they are experiencing are hay fever or the new corona.
Can we tell it apart?
Even specialists can tell ...
"It's the same for specialist doctors that it's difficult to distinguish between Omicron strains and hay fever,"
says Dr. Yurika Kimura, who is in charge of the new corona countermeasure team at the Japan Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.
Dr. Kimura
"There was a patient who had a medical examination" Please give me the usual medicine "due to the symptoms of" sneezing "and" runny nose "of hay fever as usual. I had a re-examination because the pain was getting stronger. ”I had a positive test for corona. It was a case where I realized that some of the initial symptoms were really indistinguishable.
” Technically, whitening of the nasal mucus is a typical finding in hay fever, but in the early stages of hay fever, these findings are often unclear. It is difficult for doctors to tell without a test. Even
a
specialist doctor may not be able to tell from the symptoms until the new corona is tested.
Not everyone will be inspected ...
So, if you have symptoms such as "sneezing" or "snot", should everyone be tested for the new corona first?
According to a 2019 national survey conducted by teams such as the Japanese Society of Otolaryngology and Immunology, it is reported that 42.5% of people have pollinosis and 38.8% of Sugi pollen alone.
More than one in three people nationwide is at risk of hay fever.
It is not easy for so many people to be tested for the new coronavirus because of the symptoms of "sneezing" and "snot".
There are handy antigen test kits available, but we need to ensure that they do not affect the testing system for those who need more testing, such as those who have become close contacts or work in nursing homes.
Symptoms of hay fever It is difficult to tell if it is an infection
In anticipation of this situation, the pollinosis season was approaching, and on January 25, the "Japan Society for Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery" was calling on its website.
"Symptoms of hay fever such as runny nose, sneezing, stuffy nose, olfaction disorders, and malaise are common to new coronavirus infections, especially the Omicron strain. If you have hay fever symptoms, you will be infected with the virus. It's hard to tell
if it's there. "
(1) Anxiety due to indistinguishability
"If you have symptoms of hay fever, it will be difficult to tell if you are infected with the virus."
As mentioned above, it is not easy for doctors to distinguish between the symptoms of Omicron strains and hay fever.
Even doctors are difficult, so it's even harder to judge for yourself.
If you have a runny nose or other symptoms, you can go to school or work if you have hay fever, but if you suspect an Omicron strain, you should refrain from going out and see a doctor.
It seems that there will be cases where you are at a loss.
(2) Risk of spreading the infection without noticing the infection
If you are infected with the new coronavirus and think that you have hay fever and neglect the countermeasures, you may spread the infection to other people.
Be careful of "sneezing" of hay fever, especially if you are infected with the Omicron strain in addition to hay fever.
According to academic societies, the amount of sneezing that occurs is more than 10 times that of coughing.
(3) Risk of new infection
According to the academic society, even if you are not infected with the new coronavirus, if you leave the symptoms of pollinosis unattended, the risk of infection may increase.
Symptoms of hay fever include itching of the eyes and nose.
If you rub your eyes or nose with your hands with the new coronavirus, you risk getting infected through the mucous membranes.
What to do if you have sneezing or runny nose symptoms?
What academic societies and others are calling for is "early consultation."
It seems that the symptoms of hay fever can be suppressed if treatment is started early.
Previous studies have shown that starting treatment before or while the symptoms are still mild will alleviate the subsequent symptoms.
There are various treatments for hay fever, and if you visit a medical institution such as an otolaryngology department, you can receive the optimal treatment according to your symptoms and the patient's condition.
If the symptoms of hay fever have been alleviated or subsided after receiving treatment, but symptoms such as "throat pain", "headache", and "malaise" still appear, or treatment for hay fever If you are receiving it and your symptoms do not change, you may be skeptical of the new Corona.
If you still can't judge ...
What should I do if I still have symptoms that I can't tell if it's an Omicron strain infection or hay fever?
Dr. Yurika Kimura
"If you don't have the usual symptoms of hay fever and you don't have a particularly high fever, or if there are people around you who have been infected with the new coronavirus, it's normal hay fever. I don't think it's a problem to have a medical examination. "
"If you have a runny nose, a fever, or a headache, you should tell the clinic in advance before you go to the clinic. To protect yourself, protect the people around you. For this reason, I would like you to see a medical institution early this season to treat hay fever. ”
Even though I had no symptoms of hay fever until last year, I suddenly had sneezing. If you have symptoms like hay fever, don't assume that you have hay fever, but be careful.
Get early treatment from now on!
According to the "Pollen Information Site" of the Ministry of the Environment, sugi pollen has already begun to scatter all over the country.
According to the pollen forecast for this spring released by the Japan Weather Association, the amount of scattered pollen is considered to be "slightly higher" to "very high" than in the previous season, especially in eastern Japan.
Even if it is actually a symptom of hay fever, if you go out with terrible sneezing or runny nose, you can not tell from the surroundings whether it is hay fever or infected with the new coronavirus, so be worried. It may happen.
Even now, it seems better to receive treatment for hay fever as soon as possible.