Within the next two weeks, spring allergies could begin to take hold in New Jersey, and although we are in a much different place with COVID-19 than we were a year ago, a leading state allergist and immunologist said the 40% of Americans who claim to have pollen allergies could find themselves at increased risk for contracting the coronavirus. Last year, the discussion was about how to distinguish warning signs of COVID from symptoms of seasonal allergies. But now that researchers know much more about the SARS-CoV-2 virus, they can say more with confidence about the relationship between COVID and pollen, said Dr. Leonard Bielory with the Rutgers Center for Environmental Prediction. To read the full story.