Be vigilant about bug spray

Ticks and mosquitoes don’t care about COVID-19 safety protocols. They don’t care that people are trying to squeeze out the last moments of this restrictive summer by getting outdoors, hiking, or just sitting on their decks at night and feeling something that’s close to normal. COVID-19 has commanded our attention and caused people to adapt their behaviors to prevent one major health concern, but it doesn’t mean others have been eliminated. “Masks and social distancing will do nothing to protect you from what ticks and mosquitoes potentially carry,” says Dr. Todd Ellerin, director of infectious diseases and vice chairman of the department of medicine at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, Massachusetts, and an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School. Ellerin adds another reason to remain vigilant: tick-borne illnesses and COVID-19 share symptoms, such as fevers, achiness, fatigue, sore throats, rashes, headaches, low white blood cell counts, and elevated liver functions. One illness can be confused for the other, and health care resources are used up in the process. “It adds another level of diagnostic confusion,” he says. It means taking the necessary precautions becomes more important now, but the upside is one repellent is effective for both insects. What are some common tick- and mosquito-borne illnesses? This list isn’t exhaustive, but common infections associated with ticks include Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis. They all can occur na...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Autoimmune diseases Prevention Safety Source Type: blogs