Is it allergies or the coronavirus?

That’s a major question in Richmond, the nation’s capital for allergies based on pollen counts, number of allergy specialists and purchases of allergy medicine, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation.

The question is getting more attention now as the spring allergy season moves into high gear amid worries about the spread of COVID-19.

According to the foundation, sneezing is a key difference in the two afflictions. People with allergies sneeze a lot, the foundation noted on its chart of symptoms; those with the coronavirus do not.

A runny or stuffy nose also is common for allergy sufferers, but not diarrhea as is the case sometimes with coronavirus.

Allergy sufferers also generally do not have shortness of breath unless their allergies trigger asthma, while difficulty breathing is a common symptom of COVID-19.

It is possible to have both allergies and the coronavirus at the same time — the worst of both worlds.