COVID-19 long haulers share similar experiences and frustrations with chronic Lyme disease patients in a commissioned report. “Anecdotally, there’s no question that there are a considerable number of individuals who have a post-viral syndrome that really, in many respects, can incapacitate them for weeks and weeks following so-called recovery and clearing of the virus,” writes […]

In the article, “Neurologic Findings Among Inpatients with COVID-19 at a Safety-Net U.S. Hospital,” Anand and colleagues described the symptoms and clinical presentations of 74 individuals with confirmed COVID-19.  [1] The patients were seen for neurology consults while hospitalized or within a month of hospitalization. Covid-19 and lyme disease share many of the symptoms and […]

People can have an impaired immune system from an overactive and underactive immune response. “A strong immune system responds appropriately to the challenge; a weak immune system may over-respond or under-respond,” explains Kostoff and colleagues in the journal International Journal of Molecular Medicine. [2]  Should Lyme patients get the COVID-19 vaccine? They added, “A weakened […]

Hello, and welcome to another Inside Lyme Podcast. I am your host Dr. Daniel Cameron. In this episode, I will be addressing concerns from Lyme disease patients regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. By Dr. Daniel Cameron I have Lyme disease patients in my practice who are concerned about contracting COVID-19 and some who are reluctant to […]

Welcome to another edition of Inside Lyme Podcast with Dr. Daniel Cameron. I will be discussing autonomic dysfunction in a 64-year-old woman where COVID-19 or Lyme disease triggered autoimmune dysfunction. By Dr. Daniel Cameron This case was featured in the journal eNeurologicalSci in 2020. According to the author, a 60-year-old woman was diagnosed with Lyme disease based […]

Some individuals with Lyme disease do not trust the COVID-19 vaccine. They are not alone. As the author points out, a December poll by the Pew Research Center reported that 71% of Black respondents knew someone who had been hospitalized or died from Covid-19, yet fewer than 50% of Black Americans polled would get the […]

Lyme disease patients often describe suffering from brain fog. So do COVID-19 patients. Sara Harrison wrote about COVID-19 brain fog in the online journal Wired. What are examples of COVID-19 brain fog? Dr. Aluko Hope from Montefiore Hospital in New York City described what he has learned from listening to COVID-19 patients. “About a third […]

COVID and Lyme disease symptoms overlap. The authors described complications reported in 153 COVID-19 patients in the UK, who had been admitted to the hospital with acute neurologic or psychiatric complications. Treating clinicians included specialists in neurology, stroke, psychiatry, and intensive care. More than 9 out of 10 patients had a positive COVID-19 test. The […]

Changes in smell have been described in COVID-19 and Lyme disease. According to Parma and colleagues, “A sudden loss of smell [and] taste is consistent with the now typical presentation of COVID-19 symptoms, it is highly probable that COVID-19 infection is the main reason of their smell and taste change.” [2] Patients with other illnesses, […]

A broad range of factors associated with mental health problems in COVID-19 that have been seen in individuals with Lyme disease were identified in an epidemiologic review. “Age, gender, marital status, education, occupation, income, place of living, close contact with people with COVID-19, comorbid physical and mental health problems, exposure to COVID-19 related news and […]

COVID-19 long-haulers can individuals with Lyme disease can share frustrations.  “I have all the symptoms of a COVID-19 long-hauler — but I’m hesitant to identify myself as one,” writes Pooja Yerramilli in StatNews.¹ His symptoms were typical of patients with COVID-19. “The relentless dry cough and fatigue were followed by shortness of breath.” But his […]

In their study, “Frequent neurologic manifestations and encephalopathy‐associated morbidity in Covid‐19 patients,” Liotta and colleagues describe neurologic manifestations in 509 patients with confirmed COVID-19.¹ The authors sought to identify the incidence of neurologic complications in COVID-19 patients. The study found: More than 8 out of 10 COVID-19 patients suffered from neurologic complications. Nearly 1 out […]

We can better understand COVID-19 chronic manifestations if we understand the lessons from Lyme disease. Lyme disease was first described as an early disease in 1977 when an epidemic of oligoarticular arthritis occurred in three Connecticut communities, which involved 39 children and 12 adults. [1] During this time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention […]

Cortiula and colleagues express concern that the diversion of resources might stretch an already fragile system. The diversion might lead to worse outcomes. “It is well established that delayed oncologic surgery may lead to disease progressions and result in tumors no longer resectable, leading to worse survival outcomes,” the authors wrote.  Could Lyme disease in […]

There are reports that the COVID-19 virus can be more severe in individuals with a co-morbidity. A recent study found that out of 1,590 cases in China, 1 in 4 patients had at least one co-morbidity. [1] The study offers insight into the risks for Lyme disease patients during a COVID-19 pandemic. The most common […]