AUSTIN, Texas — With the threat of coronavirus on everyone's minds, Mother Nature is reminding us that we live in Texas - in the peak of pollen season. 

While coronavirus and allergies have some of the same symptoms, they also have a lot of the same preventive measures.

Allergy Season Recommendations:

• Don’t touch your eyes or face
• Wash your hands regularly
• Keep surfaces clean

This season, though, you should also follow precautions for preventing the spread of coronavirus. In addition to the recommendations above, you should make sure you’re washing your hands longer than usual with a good antibacterial soap or hand sanitizer that’s at least 70 percent alcohol. 

Also, because a virus is different from allergies, you need to make sure to cough or sneeze into your elbow.

When it comes to disinfecting surfaces, the CDC and EPA recommend certain cleaners to kill viruses, such as COVID-19.

If you can’t tell whether you've got allergies or coronavirus, you should avoid public contact and monitor your symptoms. If needed, you should contact your doctor. However, health care professionals are imploring the public not to make use of emergency rooms for coronavirus testing.