COVID-19 has been extremely difficult for many people, forcing everyone around the world to adjust to the new health standards. Although vaccines are finally being distributed, COVID is still a global health threat. On top of the global pandemic, the spring allergy season is just beginning, and the pollen in the air tends to affect many people. As if there wasn’t a better time for people to start sneezing and coughing everywhere!

With the virus still being present and pollen beginning to spread, it can be very awkward for those who do have seasonal allergies, as a simple sneeze or cough could cause a fellow classmate, employee, friend, or family member to believe that person has the virus, and that can have many unintended consequences. For instance, there’s nothing more embarrassing than sneezing in the middle of a test and everyone looks at you. The least someone could do is say “bless you.”

Although Covid and allergy symptoms are very different, many people believe them to be interchangeable. It can become quite embarrassing for students who experience allergies during this time, as it may cause people around them to think they have the big bad coronavirus. 

On the bright side, since the vaccines are being distributed, the world will hopefully return to some sort of normalcy, where a sneeze is once again just treated as an allergy or cold symptom, and not an act of war.