'Not every sneeze is COVID': allergy season arrives early with workplace return

As private and public workers prepare to return to the office after two years of working remote, allergy season has already arrived in parts of Ontario.

Healthcare and workplace etiquette experts note not everyone may be on the same comfort level about returning to the workplace at this time, noting coughs or seasonal sneezes don’t have to be met with apprehension.

“Not every sneeze is COVID,” says Dr. Matthias Spitzmuller, professor of organizational behaviour at Smith School of Business.

Spitzmuller says while many restrictions have lifted, everything from handshakes to mask wearing, elevator capacity and in-person business meetings are causing a new level of pandemic anxiety for some employees.

“Suddenly we're working again in tight offices, we’re surrounded by many colleagues. Some of them might also be symptomatic, I think for many of us, there are some anxieties,” he says.

Spitzmuller says it’s important to recognize not everyone is the same, explaining some people experienced the pandemic without problem while others developed forms of fear and anxiety.

“Some of us are naturally more anxious when it comes to our health and some are not and I think as a first step, what is good office etiquette right now is to respect the preferences of people around you.”

Spitzmuller adds, “If you're a hugger, that doesn't mean that everybody else is a hugger. Not everybody is excited when you walk into their office space and give them long and warm hug.”

Meantime, local pharmacists say they’re ready to help with allergy symptoms.

“We see it in Windsor-Essex all the time,” says Essex County pharmacist Tim Brady, “There's actually a little thing we've always called “The Windsor Drip.”

Brady says the region’s proximity to the Great Lakes along with warmer temperatures and high humidity create large pollen and spore counts.

“We know it's going to be coming over the next couple of weeks when the weather starts to break. The plants are going to start to pollinate so we're going to have issues,” he says.

Also the Chair of the Ontario Pharmacists Association, Brady suggests it’s best to stock up on allergy medication if you’re a known sufferer now that mask mandates have eased.

“With the season going on you're going to have the sniffles, you're going to have the coughs,” Brady explains, “I think people will realize that this year, just stay on it more often. Obviously carry stuff around or if you do have a constant sneeze, you may want to have a mask on just to keep yourself at ease and everybody else around you at the same time.”

Recent University of Michigan research indicates that allergy seasons are likely to become more intense and lengthier because of high temperatures caused by climate change.

Report Lead Author Yingxiao Zhang says pollen induced respiratory symptoms are getting worse with climate change, suggesting the findings could be the starting point for more investigation into the consequences of climate change on allergies.

“They’re trying to incorporate our model inside the air quality forecasting system so in the future in different regions, people can know the daily pollen concentration would be and they can plan in advance. So that could be helpful,” says Zhang.

Back in the office, Dr. Spitzmuller adds, “I think the pandemic has taught us the advantages of watching our health more mindfully. I think that's a good thing. It can also avoid presenteeism and employees coming to work when they're sick. But at the same time, we also have to recognize that as humans, we are used to living in environments that expose us to bacteria and to viruses.”

Spitzmuller believes as more people return to in-person working post-COVID, we have to gradually become more comfortable and compassionate with the next new normal.

“If we say that we are removing masks tomorrow, people will get scared. If we announced that we will be doing this in a month, it gives people more time to prepare, sensitive conversations can be had, people can express their personal preferences and I think that's much preferred over such an ad hoc approach.”