EYECARE: Coronavirus BRIEFING: Crisis Response Tactics Is It COVID-19 or Allergies? By Staff Wednesday, August 21, 2024 7:59 AM Hi, everyone. I'm Dr. John Whyte, Chief Medical Officer at WebMD. There's a lot of pollen around right now. So how can you tell if that cough is COVID or allergies? Here's what you need to know in 60 seconds.Seasonal allergies typically cause itchiness, itchy eyes, itchy throat. Sometimes you have a dry cough. It's also typical to have a runny nose or watery eyes. Another big difference, allergies don't usually result in a fever.COVID often causes shortness of breath or trouble breathing. You might get body aches or muscle aches, which don't usually happen with allergies. Head over to WebMD to read the full story.