Published August 2023
The diagnosis of chronic Lyme disease has long been controversial, as experts continue to explore what causes ongoing symptoms and why. With the addition of the COVID-19 pandemic, this has become more perplexing since long COVID, or post COVID-19 symptoms, overlap with those of chronic Lyme disease. Because of this, these two health issues can be confused for one another and misdiagnosed.
Here’s a breakdown of chronic Lyme disease and long COVID, including how their symptoms compare and how to get help with diagnosis and treatment:
Chronic Lyme disease and long COVID explained
Lyme disease:
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the United States, affecting up to 300,000 Americans each year. While most people recover quickly, there are 10 to 20% of those infected who suffer from chronic Lyme disease and continue to experience symptoms.
Long COVID:
Although there is no universal clinical case definition for these lingering symptoms yet, the CDC labels long COVID as a “wide range of new, returning or ongoing health problems people can experience four or more weeks after first being infected.” As of January 2022, long COVID affected one-third of patients who were previously sick with COVID-19.
How do symptoms of chronic Lyme disease and long COVID compare?
While chronic Lyme disease and long COVID are very different infections, the former caused by bacteria and the latter a virus, there are notable similarities between the two illnesses, as well as obvious differences.
Both Lyme disease and COVID-19 can often start with general flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, achiness and fatigue. For those who experience ongoing and long-term symptoms, these can manifest as tiredness, sleep issues and trouble concentrating for both conditions. Yet, while not everyone experiences symptoms the same way, there are some general differences between the two illnesses.
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Health care resources and prevention
If you or a loved one are feeling any of the above symptoms, and are unsure which illness you may be experiencing, it’s important to contact your primary care physician as soon as possible. Your doctor may conduct a blood test to help determine if you have Lyme disease. For those who don’t test positive for Lyme disease, a doctor can help give a comprehensive evaluation to assess whether or not long COVID may be at the root.
The treatment for both chronic conditions is similar in that it will be tailored based on a person’s unique set of symptoms. In both cases it is often focused on reducing pain and discomfort and can differ depending on a person’s problem areas.
The most effective plan of action is prevention. Getting vaccinated for COVID-19 can help prevent serious illness from it. However, there is currently no vaccine for Lyme disease. But you can still take precautions to prevent tick bites before going outside.
How to protect yourself from Lyme disease
Before going outdoors:
Understand when and where you’ll find ticks. Grassy, brushy and wooded areas, along with pet fur, can be hotspots for ticks. And although tick activity is weather-dependent, be especially cautious from June through August, when the majority of cases of tick-borne disease occur.
Be prepared and protected. Whether you’re headed outside to walk the dog, garden or go camping, dress for tick-free success:
- Wear light-colored clothes so ticks are easier to spot.
- Choose fitted clothing when in wooded or grassy areas.
- Use tick repellent that’s EPA-registered.
- Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin. Or buy permethrin-treated clothing and gear.
After being outdoors:
Leave nothing unchecked. Ticks can be carried into the house on anything from clothing to pets to gear, so take the time to do a tick check.
Head for the laundry room. After checking clothes for ticks, you can take it one step further and tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks. If clothes are damp, they may need additional time. And if you prefer to wash them, use hot water since cold and medium temperatures will not kill ticks.
Take a shower. Improve your chances of washing off an unattached tick by taking a shower right away after coming inside.
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