Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Reported Lyme Disease, United States, 2020
David W. McCormick, Kiersten J. Kugeler, Grace E. Marx, P. Jamila Jayanthi, Stephanie Dietz, Paul S. Mead, Alison F. Hinckley
Abstract
Surveys indicate US residents spent more time outdoors in 2020 than in 2019, but fewer tick bite-related emergency department visits and Lyme disease laboratory tests were reported. Despite ongoing exposure, Lyme disease case reporting for 2020 might be artificially reduced due to coronavirus disease-associated changes in healthcare-seeking behavior.
Topics & Concepts
Lyme diseasePandemicCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)MedicineDiseaseSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)Emergency department2019-20 coronavirus outbreakTick-borne diseaseVirologyTickInfectious disease (medical specialty)OutbreakPsychiatryInternal medicineViral Infections and VectorsVector-borne infectious diseasesTravel-related health issues