Its a stressful time, and any throat tickle or sneeze can trigger even more anxiety about the coronavirus . For people with allergies or asthma, that worry can be inflamed, as many people are concerned that any symptoms they have right now may be a sign of COVID-19.

If you do have allergies or asthma, there are some extra precautions you can take to lower your risk of infection. Heres what you need to know.

Allergies vs. coronavirus symptoms

While seasonal allergies and COVID-19 share certain symptoms, including loss of taste and smell, shortness of breath and possibly some cough, there are some telltale signs to distinguish one from the other, said Theresa Bingemann , an allergy and immunology specialist and associate professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Expect more lower respiratory tract symptoms with coronavirus, she said. And fever the most concrete differentiating symptom because you dont see fever at all with allergies.

Many cases of COVID-19 have been associated with temperatures of 100 degrees and higher, said Purvi Parikh, an allergist and immunologist with the Allergy & Asthma Network .

Nothing is 100% absolute, but in the majority of cases [of coronavirus], there is a fever, she said. COVID-19 also can come with extreme fatigue, headaches, digestive issues, chills or body aches.

Itchiness is not at all associated with COVID-19, Parikh added, and its important to remember that the coronavirus can be spread from person to person, where allergies cannot.

Theres also the duration of the symptoms. The coronavirus can last a few weeks and allergies can last longer than that, Parikh said, noting that some people suffer from allergies year-round.

One way to keep level-headed about your symptoms is to remember your past experiences with allergies.

Consider what your allergy pattern has been, Bingemann said, adding that if youre typically a spring sufferer, you can expect to suffer from the sniffles this spring, too.