Is It Allergies A Cold Or Coronavirus? Here's How To Tell

The coronavirus outbreak has everyone freaking out and since we are now heading into allergy season and in the middle of flu season, people are wondering "Do I have the flu, allergies, or is it coronavirus?"

Here are what the main symptoms of each of those illnesses look like:
IS IT THE FLU?
Fever
Sore throat
Cough
Headache
Muscle aches & chills
Stuffy nose
Fatigue

IS IT ALLERGIES?
Sneezing
Cough
Runny, stuffy nose
Watery, red, itchy eyes
Wheezing and shortness of breath

IS IT CORONAVIRUS?
Fever of 100.4°F or higher
Cough
Shortness of breath
Difficulty breathing
Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure

The coronavirus in the US is pretty specific. If you present to a doctor with symptoms of coronavirus you will probably be asked if you have traveled recently, where you've been to, is there anyone around you who has traveled and where did they go. Health officials will try to determine if you or anyone you know has been in an area of an outbreak or if you or anyone you know has been on cruise ship recently. There have been cases of community-spread, which means that someone has contracted the virus but hasn't been exposed in that way, but they are . Click here for the CDC guidelines and updated information about the spread of the virus.

The most important thing to remember is to not panic. An airplane had to make an unscheduled stop because someone coughed and the passengers freaked out and demanded the person be taken off the plane. Things are pretty scary but if you want to stay as safe as you can, be sure to wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water often, cover you mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough, and if you feel sick, stay home and call your doctor with your symptoms. They can direct you on whether you need to be tested for coronavirus.

The other thing to remember is there will be a lot of misinformation on social media. If you're reading something on social media and it has not been confirmed by City or County officials or officials with the CDC, it isn't true. All testing has to be done through the City and County because the CDC has to have a record of tests to keep track of outbreak areas. If you want to keep track of things locally, you can click here for updates in El Paso County.