With allergy season here, individuals who are susceptible to hay fever are gearing up to go through one of the most annoying times of the year.
People contract hay fever, also referred to as seasonal allergies, annually in the spring. Those who fall victim to these symptoms have the tendency to regularly sneeze and have itchy and watery eyes due to the increased amounts of pollen in the air.
With COVID-19 guidelines and masking mandates, people with seasonal allergies are forced to deal with their allergies from behind a mask, making life that much more difficult.
Although some experience regular symptoms, others may experience more severe ailments including a fever or cold with the constant changes in summer approaches.
Sophomore Alex Avery said the most annoying thing that comes with his allergies is a type of nasal infection causing him to be sick about three times each spring.
Sophomore Zach Carillo said his least favorite thing about allergy season is his runny nose.
Most students with these seasonal allergies are experiencing all of these symptoms from behind a mask, so imagine constantly sneezing and wanting to touch your face but trying to avoid it due to being in public or around others.
Penn State Beaver Nurse Barbara Kugel said she was used to seeing three to five students with allergies each week before the pandemic.
Kugel said coronavirus symptoms are not the same as flu and allergy symptoms.
“When experiencing colds or flu symptoms, there are indicators like sneezing and coughing that indicate you probably have a cold. When experiencing allergies, you have indicators like itchy eyes or sneezing that can be recognized as allergies,” Kugel said.
Despite the differences, some people may not react well to people coughing and sneezing around them.
Though the coughing and sneezing may be annoying, most students said they don’t care. “As long as people are following proper social distance protocols, it wouldn’t be that big of a deal,” said senior Malaysia Wallace.
Junior Jeremy Redwine, however, suggested that allergy sufferers should stay home to make sure they are not suffering from COVID-19 instead.