With hay fever season quickly approaching, experts have said such symptoms as runny nose and sneezing can make it difficult to distinguish it from symptoms of the omicron coronavirus variant.
Experts are urging those with a fever and a sore throat to see a doctor, as they might be infected with the coronavirus.
According to the Japanese Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 73% of patients infected with the omicron variant have runny noses and 60% experience sneezing, both common symptoms of hay fever.
"If you only experience itchy eyes, you might have hay fever," said Yurika Kimura, chief of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Ebara Hospital, who is in charge of countermeasures against the virus in society. "If, in addition to a fever, you are more lethargic or your throat is more sore than usual, you might be infected with the omicron variant."
Prof. Takeshi Shimizu of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at Shiga University of Medical Science said, "It is important to treat your hay fever as early as possible to suppress symptoms and prevent the spread of the coronavirus."
According to the Japan Weather Association, cedar pollen has already started to scatter in the Kyushu region and is expected to be in the air in Tokyo by the end of February. The amount of cedar pollen that will disperse this year is expected to be more in eastern Japan and the same or slightly less in western Japan compared to last year.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
