Observing the mild winter on the east coast, Sapi says, “We have a bad year for ticks.”
Hikers, campers, and anyone else eager to escape could “explode outdoors. And there may not be the same thoughtful approach” to preventing exposure, explains Dr. Sorana Segal-Maurer, director of Dr. James J. Rahal, Jr. Division of Infectious Diseases in the NewYork-Presbyterian Queens healthcare system.
“I’m a little nervous because his guard may be going down a little bit,” she adds.
The outdoor crowds were so large over Memorial Day weekend that parks from Southern California to North Carolina had to close early after reaching capacity.
Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced an increase in Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, with seven additional germs identified in the US in the past two decades, while the “tick of the lone star “expanded its footprint beyond the southeast to northern and midwestern states.
But ignoring the basic steps that reduce the risk of ticks and vector-borne diseases to focus solely on preventing Covid-19 is just a danger. Another is the possibility of confusing symptoms if you start to feel sick.
Lyme disease and Covid-19: a history of similar symptoms
The warning signs for tick-borne diseases are “very similar to the severity we’ve seen with Covid-19, which is fever, muscle aches, headaches, severe fatigue,” says Dr. Segal- Maurer.
She believes that a unique difference is that respiratory problems are common in coronavirus patients, but not in those infected with tick disease. However, even that distinction is up for debate.
“Lung involvement, even to a fatal degree, has been documented in a variety of tick-borne infections,” Dr. Steven Phillips of the Bay Area Lyme Foundation told CNN. “Although severe lung involvement with vector-borne infections is relatively rare, nonspecific lung conditions, such as shortness of breath, are extremely common.”
Even if you follow Covid-19’s advice, paying attention to tips to avoid bites is just as important. Dr. Segal-Maurer describes a “realistic” scenario if you are on a crowded hiking trail: “Everyone is going to push into the greenery … they are going to be a little out of the way.” ”
Ticks “hang off the tip of the blade of grass or leaf or vegetation, and they have these little sensors that … jerk out there. So the minute you brush, they catch on.”
Last month, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine announced an increase in emergency room visits in recent months “related” to tick bites. “Some symptoms of Lyme disease, such as fever, chills, and headache, are similar to the symptoms of COVID-19,” Dr. Levine said in a statement, reiterating what other experts say..
Head outside, but responsibly
Dr. Segal-Maurer says that healthcare professionals always need to ask patients about their trips and other activities. “You have to cover all your bases … we don’t want to be blinded by Covid.”
Patients, in turn, should also ask about both possibilities.
And when it comes to protecting herself from ticks, she says, “You must use DEET. You must be 30%. You must watch where you are hiking. And then you must do a body check when you come back in.”
Dr. Phillips prefers permethrin, which he says is stronger, but “can only be sprayed on clothing, not on the skin, and allowed to dry overnight before wearing.”
Other tips include wearing hats, light-colored clothing to make ticks easier to spot, putting socks over your pants, and choosing long-sleeved shirts to keep ticks from getting close to your skin.
That, of course, is in addition to wearing a mask to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
However, even with the added hassle of a safer summer getaway, Dr. Segal-Mauer encourages people to go out this summer because she believes “they have been very traumatic for several months. I think the outdoors is a place very healing. ”
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