HOUSTON Health experts are sounding the alarm about a disease with similar symptoms to COVID-19 -- Lyme disease. Lyme disease, unlike coronavirus, is caused by bacteria. The problem is that the symptoms of Lyme disease and COVID-19 are very similar, but there are some differences. COVID-19 is more likely than Lyme disease to cause breathing problems. Lyme disease often causes a bulls-eye-like rash at the site of the tick bite.