WITH SOARING pollen counts striking most parts of the UK, you might put down your sniffles and sneezing to hay fever But it's also likely these oh-so-common symptoms are caused by a summer cold or even Covid. A pollen bomb has descended on England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with "very high" pollen counts set to spread into Scotland too over the coming days, the Met Office has warned. Hay fever hell is expected to peak on Sunday and continue into Monday, as the entire UK is set to see soaring levels of pollen - apart from the most northern parts of Scotland.
Though very high pollen counts will surely cause misery to hay fever sufferers, people with asthma were warned to "stay inside" as they're at higher risk of deadly asthma attacks. But with Covid still swirling around and summer colds in full swing, your runny nose, tickly throat and sneezing could be caused by any of the above options. Covid cases are certainly lower than they were January, when health chiefs warned of the new JN.
1 variant - an offshoot of Pirola and Omicron - spreading across England to make up 60 per cent of cases . But recent UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reports indicate that cases are slowly ticking up - increasing by 8 per cent in week leading up to June 6. Though symptoms of hay fever, Covid infection and a spring cold are undoubtedly similar, there are some key differences in how each condition manifests.
Here's how to get to the bottom of what's causing your sniffles. With pollen counts peak.