Should you crank up your early allergy strategies this year?

Even if you're isolating to avoid COVID-19, it's still important to be proactive when it comes to allergies.

This is normally the time of year to think about taking medications to ward off spring allergies. Starting treatment about a month before the season (which begins in February in some parts of the country) gives the drug time to achieve its full effect and prevent symptoms.

But the pandemic may have you questioning that approach: is an early regimen necessary if you're isolating and you're not going outside very often? The answer is yes. "Even a short walk around the neighborhood, sitting on a patio, or simply opening the windows for fresh air could expose you to allergens," says Dr. Anna Wolfson, an allergist and immunologist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.