Lyme Disease and COVID: Does COVID Worsen Symptoms? Survey Findings
COVID may worsen Lyme disease symptoms.
Vaccinated patients reported fewer symptoms.
Responses varied—but patterns are clear.
Does COVID worsen Lyme disease symptoms?
In a survey of 782 individuals with Lyme disease, participants who had COVID reported a significantly higher burden of illness—particularly neurologic and fatigue-related symptoms.
Many patients described worsening Lyme disease and COVID symptoms, especially fatigue, brain fog, and neurologic complaints.
Learn more about these patterns in our Lyme disease symptoms guide.
Does COVID Worsen Lyme Disease Symptoms?
Yes—based on survey findings, COVID infection was associated with a greater burden of illness in patients with Lyme disease.
Participants who had COVID reported more:
- Fatigue
- Neurologic symptoms
- Neuropsychiatric symptoms
- Viral-like illness patterns
The highest burden of illness occurred in individuals with Lyme disease who had COVID—regardless of vaccination status.
What Did the Survey Show About Vaccination?
Participants who received the COVID-19 vaccine reported a lower overall burden of illness compared to those who were unvaccinated.
Survey breakdown:
- 55% vaccinated
- 17% refused vaccination
- 16% resistant
- 11% willing but not yet vaccinated
Unvaccinated individuals reported greater pain, fatigue, and neurologic symptoms.
Do Vaccines Trigger Lyme Disease Flare-Ups?
Some patients reported temporary flare-ups after vaccination.
According to Dr. Horowitz, approximately 50% of patients experienced short-term symptom flares.
However, in most cases, symptoms resolved within a short period.
Only a small number of patients reported longer-lasting immune-related symptoms.
Interestingly, some patients reported improvement in symptoms weeks to months after vaccination.
Responses varied across patients, and treatment decisions should be individualized.
COVID Severity and Symptoms in Lyme Patients
Among participants who had COVID:
- 20% reported severe illness
- 48.6% reported moderate illness
- 28.6% reported mild illness
Common symptoms included:
- Shortness of breath (~20%)
- Loss of smell (17%)
- Loss of taste (14%)
How Long Did Vaccine Side Effects Last?
Most participants reported side effects lasting less than 48 hours.
This suggests that while reactions can occur, they are typically short-lived.
Watch: Lyme Disease and COVID Survey Discussion
In this video, Dr. Daniel Cameron and Dr. Richard Horowitz discuss the survey findings, including symptom patterns, vaccine effects, and clinical implications.
▶ Watch the discussion on YouTube
Listen to the Full Podcast
Clinical Takeaway
COVID infection may significantly increase symptom burden in Lyme disease, particularly affecting neurologic and fatigue-related symptoms.
Vaccination was associated with a lower overall burden of illness, despite some reports of temporary flare-ups.
Recognizing these patterns may help guide clinical decisions and patient expectations.
Dr. Daniel Cameron, MD, MPH
Lyme disease clinician with over 30 years of experience and past president of ILADS.
Symptoms • Testing • Coinfections • Recovery • Pediatric • Prevention
Resoundant no to vaccine. propylene glycol,,,,,,,,,polusorbate,,,,,,,graphine oxide/hydroxite. All allergic to all of them. Long term studies for example 10 months out would be more accurate.
Interested on up dates having stage 3 Lyme disease
Dr. Horowitz discussed the early results with me. He is the link https://danielcameronmd.com/covid-lyme-disease-survey-first-findings-a-discussion-with-dr-horowitz/
I am still encouraging anyone with Lyme disease even if they have never had COVID-19 or taken the vaccine to share their experience to allow me examine the questions in more depth. Here is the link to fill out the survey. https://danielcameronmd.com/lyme-disease-covid-survey/
I have had chronic Lyme. I always carry some old diminished symptoms. I had both of my covid shots and the booster. I had moderna shots and was impacted from all three for a few days. Mostly very tired. I got covid in January. I had was sick with a very bad cold for at least 14 days. I just got bit by another tick two days ago. Found it attached and engorged. I estimate it was on for over 36 hours. It was quite painful. I now have a bullseye. Any suggestions on treatment. Doxy for 10 days?
In my family we have a number of us with chronic Lyme, either from years of misdiagnosis for my wife and me, or congenital for our children. Three of us got the. Moderna vaccine and two got pfizer.
My reaction to the vaccine was that it only.made me tired for a few days after the first injection. Nothing after the second. My wife was completely knocked down with headaches and muscle pain combined with an overall flu-like feeling for about 3 days to a week for both injections. Our 22 year old daughter had a similar reaction.
Oh Pfizer daughter had a similar, but more intense reaction to both shots, but her 13 year old daughter who is in the next generation of congenital Lyme had no reaction.
All in all, we are not seeing any residual affects of the shots on our Lyme. I still have many of my old symptoms..
Hi . I am new to this forum. My 16 year old son had Covid in late July 2021 ( likely delta) and on day 12 had severe hives that needed a trip to the ER. They resolved after a few days and he recovered however he contracted Lyme disease later in the summer/ early fall. The acute case of lyme has caused sudden onset of hypothyroidism and Hashimotos disease, weight loss of 15 lbs and extreme fatigue. His immune system had likely not recovered from Covid when he got the lyme. He just finished a month of doxycycline and we are retesting his blood this month and next month to see if the thyroid resets. Anyone with any insight would be appreciated
I have not found blood tests useful as a measure of success. I sometimes order a test a month after starting treatment to check if another tick borne illness is present or to rule out other illnesses. I have to use clinical judgment to determine treatment even without COVID-19
My son contacted Lyme Bart Babs in utero. He also had heavy metal poisoning which resulted in form of autism & high levels of tetanus etc He was diagnosed by Dr. Jones 15 years ago.
He suffers from debilitating fatigue that has not yet been managed. When he was tested for allergies within minutes of those pricks; he was raging. It was scary. Luckily I had a foot detox bathe.
I’m petrified of additional damage or even worse, if he gets the vaccine. My father pressures my son about it.
What would we do if he had a reaction?
Thank you!
Ranson’s mom
Tara