How To Tell The Difference Between Cedar Fever And COVID-19

A lot more Texans are sneezing and coughing right now because its cedar season.

With the ongoing pandemic, allergy sufferers may be worried that regular cedar fever may end up being something more serious. While some cedar fever symptoms overlap with COVID-19 symptoms, there are ways to tell them apart.

Despite the name, cedar fever is an allergic reaction to cedar pollen. Because the pollen is concentrated, cedar fever can effect also people who don't normally have seasonal allergies, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Most people with cedar fever will have watery and itchy eyes, sneezing, and a runny or stuffy nose. The color of your mucus can also help tell if you have allergies or an illness.

“If your mucus is running clear, then it’s an allergy. If it’s got color, then it’s probably a cold or the flu," said Robert Edmonson, a biologist with the Forest Service.

Cedar allergies very rarely cause your body temperature to rise. Having a fever at or above 101.5°F is a sign that you may have an illness.

People with COVID-19 are also more likely to experience GI symptoms, like diarrhea or vomiting.

To prevent COVID-19, other seasonal illness, or cedar fever, Dr. Ryan McCorkle in Austin recommends wearing a mask.

"Wearing your mask works for all three of those. It obviously works for COVID-19. It works for helping stop the spread of flu, influenza A and B, and it also helps with seasonal allergies with those large particles of pollen and cedar that trigger those allergies," he told KVUE.

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