No items found.

What happens when coronavirus and Lyme disease intersect? It's a scary time for patients

With overlapping symptoms and a ferocious tick season already upon us, we’re in for a confusing — and dangerous — summer.

In mid-March, shortly after coronavirus quarantine rules went into effect in New York, sportscaster and former professional tennis player Patrick McEnroe went out for a run in a local park. An itch on his upper-arm a day later revealed an embedded tick, which he promptly removed. After urging from his wife, he sent the tick to a lab to test if it was infected with Lyme.

Normally energetic, McEnroe soon became lethargic and short of breath; he had trouble sleeping and, in the hours he did, his dreams were uncharacteristically bizarre. When his fever hit 100 degrees for two consecutive days, he was tested for COVID-19. His tick test returned positive for Lyme. The next day, his COVID-19 test came back positive, too.

This scenario points to a looming crisis. What happens when a pandemic meets another health crisis? With overlapping symptoms and a ferocious tick season already upon us, we’re in for a confusing — and dangerous — summer.

Continue reading Isabel Rose and Dana Parish's article on the links between COVID-19 and Lyme Disease here.

LAST UPDATED

May 6, 2022

Written by
Photo thumbnail Blog Author

USA Today

Media Mentions from USA Today

USA TODAY NETWORK is the largest local-to-national digital media organization in the country. USA TODAY, our national flagship brand, sits at the center of the NETWORK, surrounded by hundreds of local media properties reporting on the stories and cultural moments happening across America and in our communities.

MEDIA MENTIONS

Depending on where you travel, you may want to pack bug spray, too. In places like Florida and North Carolina, summers get buggy, and you’ll be happy to have packed a spray on nights when you want to sit on the porch or dine outdoors.

Madison Flager and Meaghan Kenny

MEDIA MENTIONS

As a veteran of the Iraq War, I found myself struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder from which greatly impacted my mental health. In 2016, I came across the film “Wild,” an adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s memoir about healing by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).

LeAura Luciano

MEDIA MENTIONS

Sawyer Permethrin Premium Insect Repellent is used on clothing, not skin, and it provides long-lasting protection against ticks.

Wirecutter
Media Mentions from Wirecutter