A "perfect storm," warns Eva Sapi, a University of New Haven biology professor and group director for the Lyme Disease Research Group.

Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a rise in Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, with seven additional germs identified in the US in the last two decades, while the "lone star tick" expanded its footprint beyond the southeast to northern states and the Midwest.

But ignoring basic steps that reduce the risk of tick and vector-borne illnesses to focus solely on Covid-19 prevention is just one danger.

Lyme disease and Covid-19: a tale of similar symptoms

Warning signs for tick-borne illnesses are "very similar to the severity that we've seen with Covid-19, which is that fever, the muscle aches, the headaches, the severe fatigue," says Dr.

Even if you follow the Covid-19 tips, heeding the advice to avoid bites is just as important.

you're going to be just a little bit off the path."

Ticks "hang off the very tip of the blade of grass or the leaf or the vegetation, and they have these little feelers that they ...

"Some symptoms of Lyme disease, such as fever, chills and headache, are similar to symptoms of COVID-19," Dr.

Head outside -- but responsibly

As with coronavirus, the number of reported Lyme disease cases is likely undercounted.