by Jenny Lelwica Buttaccio
Posted 2/4/22
NOTE: Please consult with your healthcare provider if you have questions about whether the COVID-19 vaccine is right for you or the treatment options available to you should you become ill.
To say that these last two years have been overwhelming is a massive understatement. With over 375 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, the virus that has swept the globe continues to be top-of-mind for many people. But despite the rise in numbers, there’s still a lot we don’t know about the long-term effects, the prevalence of and recovery from long COVID, and more specifically, how the virus affects people with Lyme disease.
To help you cope, we’ve rounded up some video insights and perspectives from Dr. Bill Rawls, MD, Medical Director of RawlsMD and Vital Plan to offer suggestions and sort through some of the lingering questions and concerns you may have about the pandemic. In time, we hope emerging research brings about a renewed sense of awareness for people struggling with chronic illness and bears additional healing opportunities for those with symptoms.
1. What Can I Do to Prepare My Body for the Vaccine if I Have Lyme Disease?
To prepare yourself for the COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. Rawls emphasizes the importance of creating a healing environment to implement to give your body the tools it needs for recovery.
2. Is There a Way to Track Healing from Lyme and Long COVID?
If you’re dealing with the symptoms of Lyme disease, coinfections, and long COVID, it can be a challenge to figure out which illness is causing you to feel lousy. In actuality, there’s a good chance it’s all of them due to an overtaxed, dysfunctional immune system that can no longer keep things in check.
Here, Dr. Rawls explains how the immune system works when invaded by microbes and how that infection can pop up later in life and cause illness.
3. Would Herbal and Detox Protocols be the Same for Lyme and COVID?
Detoxing is a common part of Lyme disease treatment. But what do you do if you’ve been diagnosed with Lyme, then COVID? Do you need to do things differently? Because the two illnesses are strikingly similar, Dr. Rawls suggests many of the natural solutions used to manage Lyme, including several herbs with a range of antimicrobial and antiviral properties, would be beneficial for people struggling with symptoms of long COVID as well.
The following graphic contains a list of those herbs:
4. Are People with Lyme at Greater Risk of COVID? Is There Any Data?
In this short video clip, Dr. Rawls discusses the data (or the lack thereof) on whether people with Lyme are at a greater risk of contracting the virus than the general population. As long COVID garners widespread medical, research, and media attention, perhaps more funds will be allocated to similar overlapping conditions like tick-borne diseases and ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome).
5. What about Herbs for Viruses, Including COVID?
In addition to being vaccinated for COVID, Dr. Rawls shares the type of herbal therapy protocol he’s used to combat viral infections over the last decade. The program includes vitamin C and an array of herbs several times a day to augment the immune system and provide much-needed nutrients and resources to heal.
The Bottom Line
Whether you’re dealing with the symptoms of Lyme disease, COVID, or both, create a healing environment, support your body with herbal therapy, vitamins, and minerals, and take the necessary precautions to give your immune system the support it needs to work toward recovery and better health. But be patient with yourself; healing often takes time, and your immune system is always working on your behalf to make it happen.
Dr. Rawls is a physician who overcame Lyme disease through natural herbal therapy. You can learn more about Lyme disease in Dr. Rawls’ new best selling book, Unlocking Lyme.
You can also learn about Dr. Rawls’ personal journey in overcoming Lyme disease and fibromyalgia in his popular blog post, My Chronic Lyme Journey.