Sore, itchy and watery eyes

[Lionmane]

I have a heavy cold at the moment including a sore throat, sinus pressure, lots of snot, continuous sneezing, but because a slight cough has developed, we’ve sent off home testing kits and are self isolating. No result yet, only sent yesterday.
Today my eyes are really itchy, sore and watery. Is this a Covid symptom? I don’t remember ever having this with a cold before.

My hay fever is playing up at the moment. You could try an antihistamine.

Yup. Fungal spore season. Often worse when it's damp. Certainly worth trying an antihistamine.

Sounds like hay fever to me.

Sore and very dry eyes were my only covid symptom, didn’t have any of the classic sore throat, temperature or loss of taste / smell

I’ve got very itchy eyes . Think it’s hay fever

because a slight cough has developed, we’ve sent off home testing kits

A waste of time and resources but never mind. None of the symptoms you mentioned, including itchy eyes, are signs of covid.

covid.joinzoe.com/post/tips-covid-safety
The Zoe app study people have found that sore eyes can be a symptom of Covid.

@KitKatastrophe why is it a waste of resources? I thought a cough was a symptom that needed a test?

@KitKatastrophe

because a slight cough has developed, we’ve sent off home testing kits

A waste of time and resources but never mind. None of the symptoms you mentioned, including itchy eyes, are signs of covid.

Actually you are very wrong. Conjunctivitis and other eye ailments are in fact symptoms (just not the top 3 the uk list for testing purposes). HTH

Colds and COVID are not mutually exclusive so saying it's a waste of resources is really idiotic.

[quote Lionmane]@KitKatastrophe why is it a waste of resources? I thought a cough was a symptom that needed a test?[/quote]
I wouldn't give that poster time, I have seen them saying similar to other posters. A new continous cough is a symptom for testing purposes (3 coughing fits in a 24 hour period or a cough that lasts for more than an hour).

I got itchy sore eyes with COVID. Felt like hayfever but far too early (March).

When I had covid I had tingly fluid from eyes after a couple of days. Almost cold-feeling. Also anal area (sorry TMI).

Sounds like my hay fever.

This was one of my only symptoms. But I’ve also had them during hay fever

[quote Lionmane]@KitKatastrophe why is it a waste of resources? I thought a cough was a symptom that needed a test?[/quote]
A new continuous cough. Not a slight cough. There are a lot of people struggling to get a test when they have major covid symptoms, having to drive 100 miles to get one, because they're all being used for people with a slight cough or other non covid symptoms.

And a lot of people with a slight cough, no symptoms and ‘non covid symptoms’ are testing positive and running the risk of infecting others without a test. My partner and I both tested plain it and our only symptom was itchy eyes and nose the day before. We should all be getting tested regularly and the Goverment should be making provisions for this to take place. End of.

*positive not plain

I had terrible viral conjunctivitis when I had potential Covid. Started with itchy, watery eyes that then became sore and red.

I had really sore itchy eyes in april a week or so after i had symptoms. Infact I rubbed one so much i looked like I had a black eye.

Yes, it can be a covid symptom. It's one of the symptoms asked about on the Zoe app.

@KitKatastrophe - do you know the government definition of a "new, continuous cough" when related to covid?

It's this:

"a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)"

That, to me, is "a bit of a cough". Three episodes of coughing in 24 hours is barely anything!

I do think this is going to be a problem in the winter. Whilst a cold and covid may happen at the same time, many people with an obvious cold (runny, blocked nose and sneezing which isn't a symptom) will develop a cough as part of that cold. I get a cough in around 50% of colds. Whilst that should mean you then get a test, it is already looking like the testing service is getting overrun. I think the government is going to have to do something to sort this out before we get in the full swing of the cold season.

If in doubt test.