Allergy woes nothing to sneeze at

Sufferers' regular springtime symptoms worry colleagues amid novel coronavirus outbreak.

With flu-like symptoms－sneezing, coughing and a runny nose－26-year-old Liu Yang went to hospital two times for a series of checks, only to be told she was allergic to pollen.

While that comforted Liu and her parents, who were concerned about novel coronavirus pneumonia, the results did not convince her colleagues, who kept urging her to have another checkup.

Warmer spring weather brings misery to some people. As plants begin to blossom and germinate, people allergic to pollen and willow catkins exhibit symptoms including coughing, sneezing and breathing difficulties.

The symptoms can make other people nervous, worrying that the allergy sufferer could be infected with the novel coronavirus.

According to data issued by the nation's health authorities, more patients infected with novel coronavirus have recovered and been discharged from hospital, with newly diagnosed infections on the Chinese mainland mainly imported from overseas.

Work and production is gradually resuming in an orderly manner in various regions and industries, with more people appearing on the streets and commuting to work.

But while China's epidemic prevention and control work is bearing fruit, even the slightest symptoms of a respiratory ailment can worry some people.