Do you have coronavirus or Lyme disease?

If you get a little fever and feel sick due to chills, fatigue, joint pain, etc. in this pandemic era, Refers to coronavirus, Especially in the summer when the flu season is still months away. But there may be another culprit: Lyme disease..

“Lyme disease is as common as last year or the year before,” Dr. Daniel Cameron, a practitioner of Lyme disease in Mount Kisco, NY, said today.

In addition, Lyme disease is caused by bacteria and parasites Tick, Has a good reputation for imitating other conditions.

“that is Cytokine, Mimics several other infectious diseases that affect the immune system by triggering the inflammatory process and the entire natural immune system,” Cameron said. It may cause symptoms very similar to COVID-19 when the immune system works hard to clear the infection.

There are many symptoms that can indicate either COVID-19 or Lyme disease. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these symptoms include:

• heat
• cold
• muscle pain
• Malaise

Diagnose correctly

Dr Edward Jones Lopez, an associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, said today it was important to elucidate which of these two diseases was key.

There are cures for lime, but the timing of when this drug is given is important.

“The important thing about Lyme is that it can be diagnosed and treated early to avoid the serious complications of the disease,” Jones Lopez said.

Relating

It is important to look at everything to determine if it is really Lyme disease. For example, knowing regions of the country where Lyme disease incidence is more common can give some clues.

“Although the lime-transmitting mites are growing rapidly throughout the country, they have historically been confined to a very specific part of the country,” Jones Lopez said.

The CDC claims that the incidence is high not only in the northeastern states, but also in Illinois and Minnesota. Lyme also tends to occur during the warm summer months, Jones Lopez said today.

One of the unique features of lime is the bullseye rash that is formed exactly where the ticks bite it.

“The first rash is very characteristic and is a great opportunity to distinguish the two illnesses,” Jones-Lopez said. However, bullseye rash does not occur in all cases. If the rash is somehow overlooked, the disease can turn into the more common manifestation of poor health and be more difficult to track down.

One of the body areas that Lyme tends to save is the lungs, so there is a lung lesion that quickly distinguishes COVID-19 from Lyme, Jones Lopez says. But what is most important here is the general prevailing pattern of symptoms, he added.

Possibility of testing

Tests are also part of the equation. Tests can be used to confirm or exclude Lyme or COVID-19 diagnostics. For lime, the test involves the measurement of antibodies, which can take days or up to two weeks after being bitten by a tick, Jones-Lopez explained.

On the other hand, in the case of COVID-19, Use PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) to detect actual genetic material Viral Antibody test He went on to see if anyone had the virus in the past.

Still, not all antibody tests are as reliable as doctors want, Cameron points out.

“I know that Lyme disease has false negatives,” Cameron said today. “It’s good to take the test, but some people don’t get good results.”

Relating

Similarly, confirming that patients using COVID-19 have the same disease can have similar difficulties. “There are patients who are convinced that they have a COVID. They experienced problems of all kinds, but they did not undergo a positive test,” Cameron said.

However, based on the overall clinical picture, Jones-Lopez said today, an experienced doctor could make a phone call even if the two diseases have some similarities at some stages.

Treatment options

In treatment, managing the case of Lyme is quite different from coping with COVID-19, so it’s important to know the difference. According to Cameron, most commonly adults and teens with Lyme disease are treated with the antibiotic doxycycline, and under age 8 amoxicillin is given.

On the other hand, the COVID-19 treatment is evolving. At present, antiviral drugs Rem decivil Shows promising results in patients with moderate COVID-19 Late research. The anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone has been reported to reduce death in Critically ill..

The last thing to remember at the end of this summer is that you can actually have both illnesses at the same time.

“The current situation of COVID is essentially adventurous enough that uncontrolled infections occur on a daily basis, that is, when it comes into contact with both nature and other human beings. You can definitely have both,” said Jones Lopez.

What this means for the course of either illness is that everyone is still speculating. Cameron encourages people to pay particular attention.

“I just don’t want to kill two illnesses,” Cameron said. “I don’t know if it gets worse. I think it’s the worst — it’s possible.”