A doctor based in Cork has said that a lot of people might be mixing up the symptoms for COIVD-19 and hay fever. 

As the Irish weather heats up ahead of summer, pollen counts are soaring and many may well think their cough is a sign of the world’s most unwanted and maligned disease - when in fact it could just be hay fever.  

“So the runny nose or the scratchy cough and even change of sense of taste and smell,” Dr Doireann O’Leary told Newstalk.

“So a lot of people actually are being confused with having COVID when it’s actually just hay fever symptoms.” 

Antihistamines tablets are one way to deal with the condition - but Dr O’Leary said they should only be used sparingly: 

“They’re best used when on an as required basis - what we call PRN,” she continued. 

“They’re fine as required but if we’re using them all the time we will build up tolerance.

“So they won’t actually help us over a long period of time, so best to be used as required and they actually can cause dry eyes as well which just makes things worse.” 

Main image: A woman with hay fever.