Seasonal allergies and an uptick in COVID-19 cases may be reason enough to get a new coronavirus test.
Photo illustration by Alex Cochran, Deseret News
There are still plenty of reasons to get a COVID-19 test as coronavirus cases remain low.
The backdrop: Experts warned that symptoms from the omicron variant’s subvariant — called BA.2 — might be mistaken for springtime allergies, according to CBS News.
- Dr. Celine Gounder, a clinical assistant professor of medicine and infectious diseases at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, told CBS News that it’s hard to tell the difference between COVID-19 and allergies.
- Getting a test, she said, is the best way to remain safe and sure about why you’re experiencing symptoms.
The reasons: Officials with the West Piedmont Health District told WDBJ7-TV in Roanoke, Virginia, that there are some fundamental reasons to get a COVID-19 test right now, even as COVID-19 cases remain low.
- Get a test if you’ve had COVID-19 symptoms and you’ve been in a large crowd or exposed to someone who had COVID-19.
- COVID-19 tests are helpful if you’re planning to be around high-risk family members.
- Getting a COVID-19 test may be helpful if you’re experiencing symptoms different than what you normally feel in the spring.
What they’re saying: “COVID is not gone. It’s not going to go fully away. It’s always going to be at the back of our minds and a variant could pop up here or there and we need to be ready for that,” Nancy Bell, of the West Piedmont Health District, told WDBJ7-TV.
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