An expert has claimed that many Brits who think they have hayfever actually have something far worse.
As the new Covid FLiRT variant sweeps across the UK, Brits are being urged to distinguish between typical summer hay fever symptoms and those of the contagious strain of the virus that shut the world down in 2020. This summer is seeing an unusual surge in stuffy noses and heavy coughs as high pollen levels clash with the rise in Covid variants, putting the nation’s respiratory health at risk.
The FLiRT variant of Covid is thought to be behind a 24% increase in hospital admissions related to the virus last month and currently represents about 40% of all Covid cases in the UK. This alarming figure rises to 69% of cases in the US.
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Meanwhile, the number of people suffering from hay fever in the UK continues to grow each year. The NHS estimates that around 20% of UK residents will experience reactions this summer, following a mid-June report which saw a 147% increase in hayfever sufferers seeking NHS advice.
Those who have previously suffered from hay fever are also reporting more severe symptoms this year. This is making it harder to differentiate between the strikingly similar symptoms of Covid, reports the Express. Hay fever symptoms typically focus on the face, including red, itchy or watery eyes, headaches, earaches, loss of smell, as well as sneezing, coughing or experiencing a runny or blocked nose.
On first glance, the symptoms of FLiRT variants appear similar to a number of other conditions including fever, persistent coughs, sore throats, upset stomach and loss or change of taste and smell, not unlike hay fever.
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However, the key distinction between hay fever and FLiRT is that the latter is contagious. Rebecca Owen, an exercise and sports lecturer at the University of Derby, told the Telegraph: “A lot of people have had Covid-19, and infections can make us more susceptible to allergies.
“They can activate the immune response in what’s called mast cell activation syndrome, so while more studies are needed, it could be that some of those who have been infected with Covid may then develop hay fever.”
But Owen emphasised that tests are still the definitive way to distinguish hay fever from FLiRT.
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