February 2022
You are suffering from a runny nose and sore throat. Is it a cold, the flu, COVID or allergies? This should be understood by condominium boards and management considering pandemic restrictions on access to common areas. There is no easy rule to follow since the symptoms for each are so similar.
One clue is loss of smell, which is uncommon, and suggests COVID is a realistic concern, especially if there is no nasal congestion or sore throat. Dysosmia is another symptom more common with COVID. Everything you eat tastes bad. Having a fever rules out allergies.
If you suspect COVID, PCR tests are the gold standard but difficult to obtain. They are more sensitive and can detect even the tiniest traces of the virus. PCR tests are slower and take up to 48 hours to provide results.
Raid Antigen Tests, which can be purchased for home use, provide immediate but less reliable results. They are useful if you need to quickly decide on going to work or visiting family, or after attending an event with many attendees exposed to a confirmed case of COVID. Rapid Antigen Tests may not detect asymptomatic cases and can provide false negative results.
Communities restricting access to common areas and amenities are likely to hear from many insisting on exemptions to their restricted access. Requiring testing for those with exemptions to vaccination may become a practical consideration.
