Health

If You Think It’s Just Hay Fever This One Symptom Might Mean It’s Actually Covid

Published on June 17, 2025

With hay fever season in full swing and a new Covid variant spreading across the UK, telling the difference between a pollen reaction and a viral infection has become trickier than ever. Millions of people across the country have been dealing with streaming eyes, blocked noses and relentless sneezing thanks to soaring pollen counts. But what if your symptoms aren’t just down to hay fever?

It turns out there’s one major clue that could help you figure it out. According to Dr Luke Powles, associate clinical director at Bupa, a high temperature is the tell-tale sign that you’re likely dealing with Covid, not hay fever. “You’re not likely to experience a temperature with hay fever,” he said. So if you’re feeling hot to the touch on your chest or back — even without using a thermometer — that’s a red flag Met Office reported.

This advice comes as a new Covid variant, NB.1.8.1 (also referred to as Nimbus), is reportedly circulating in the UK. The UK Health Security Agency has said hospital admissions linked to Covid rose by nearly 10 per cent in the week ending 31 May, with 947 people admitted. So it’s not surprising that people are worried about whether their sniffles are from pollen or something more serious, reported the Express.

Dr Powles explained that hay fever can cause blocked noses and even a reduced sense of smell or taste, but completely losing your sense of smell or taste is much more likely to be due to Covid. “Hay fever symptoms aren’t usually serious and, generally, you won’t feel too ill,” he said. “Covid can leave you feeling very unwell and wiped out for days or weeks — sometimes even longer.”

The NHS says that Covid symptoms can overlap with colds and flu, which only adds to the confusion. People with Covid may feel tired, have a sore throat, cough, body aches, or gastrointestinal issues like nausea or diarrhoea. Hay fever, by contrast, sticks to things like sneezing, itchy eyes, a runny nose, and occasionally headaches or tiredness — but it doesn’t mess with your appetite or give you a fever.

Covid can also cause you to shiver or feel sick, and if you’re finding it hard to get out of bed or struggling with work or school because you feel so unwell, it could be more than just allergies.

The NHS advises staying home and avoiding contact with others if you or your child have symptoms of Covid and either have a high temperature or don’t feel well enough to go about your usual daily routine. You can go back to normal activities when you’re feeling better and your temperature’s back to normal.

So while pollen might be to blame for a lot of the sneezing right now, it’s worth paying close attention to how your body’s feeling overall. If you’re feeling run down, feverish or just “off,” it might be worth taking a test or staying in for a bit. Because what seems like a bit of hay fever might not be that at all.

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