Minimize the risk by understanding Lyme disease

Being bitten by a small bug can completely ruin your life. Walking in the forest can put you at greater risk of having Lyme disease. On May 27, 2020, Zoë Schlanger in the New York Times wrote, “Lyme Disease Season Is Here. These Are Tips on How to Avoid It.” Schlanger wants the audience to be alarmed about the severity of Lyme disease during the high incidence of ticks. Lyme disease also increases the risk of COVID-19. The series of symptoms are similar to COVID-19. Such as fever, malaise, and fatigue. Therefore, she provides detailed information to inform her audiences how to minimize the risk of Lyme disease, includes the causes of Lyme disease and the prevention of Lyme disease.

Schlanger states that Lyme disease caused by tick-borne illness. Lyme disease is common in the eastern coastal areas, and it spreads westward. Schlanger begins by stating that the habitat of the ticks by the research of  Dr. Ostfeld, that has shown ticks inhabit in the shady forest or wooded areas. Dr. Ostfeld explains that little fragments of forests harbor more ticks. Due to a lack of predators, there have more disease-carrying mice out there. Ticks bite these disease-carrying mice, then ticks were infected by bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Dr. Ostfeld also explains that deer are the main carriers of Lyme disease and its deer tick can transmit Lyme disease to humans. When looking further, it was found that white-footed mice are the main source of disease transmission. Ticks obtain bacteria by attaching to disease-carrying mice and then spread these bacteria to other mammals. Such as human. Schlanger states another cause of Lyme disease focused on climate change. Then, she explains that climate change will increase the survival and activity period of ticks. As the weather warms up, ticks attached to animals will spread wildly, causing more and more people are infected with Lyme disease.

Schlanger provides this detailed information about Lyme disease means to tell her audiences that Lyme disease can be avoided and cured. Schlanger informs her audiences how to avoid ticks by introducing some precautions of Lyme disease. Her purpose is to inform those audiences who go to the forest to prevent the risk of ticks. She uses Dr. Delaney’s advice to inform her audience. For example, tuck trousers into socks to prevent ticks from crawling on your legs, wearing light-colored clothes, and spraying your clothes, shoes, and socks with the insecticide permethrin. Schlanger uses the opinion of Psychiatrist, Brian A. Fallon who claimed to stay on the path can make you decrease your risk of tick bites. Additionally, Schlanger established an important point of the severity of tick-borne illness. She states that ticks spread disease at least 24 hours and Lyme symptoms can show between two days and three weeks after a bite. Emergency treatment is very important to prevent Lyme infection. When you find ticks on your skin, you need to remove it quickly and consult your doctor. Despite Schlanger does not use a lot of detail to inform her audience, she uses the information from external sources and expert’s opinions to inform her audiences how to prevent ticks, and minimize the risk of Lyme disease in forests. Schlanger emphasized that once tick infections are found, treat it as soon as possible.

                                                 Reference

Zoë Schlanger. 2020 May 27. Lyme Disease Season Is Here. These Are Tips on How to Avoid It.  The New York Times. [accessed 2020 June 2].

Peer Review

This peer editing is about the NY times summary/response. Through peer editors, we can make correction of the paper from the opinions of others. This editing review examines the title, thesis, and grammar of this summary. Also, it asks the reviewer to give some suggestions that what the article needs to improve.

Peer Editing Worksheet—NY Times Summary & Evaluation

1.title specific to the summary/eval/topic?
Yes.
The title is specific to the summary/eval/topic

2.  Does the first paragraph sufficiently introduce the article (e.g., author’s name and purpose, title, date)?
      Yes.
The first paragraph has given the clue for the article with the author’s name, the title of the article, published date, and the main ideas.

3. Is the thesis specific to the summary and evaluation? How can it be improved?
    The thesis is specific to the summary and evaluation but can be improved by going more into detail about what Lyme disease does to someone, can it be avoided, is there a cure, you can talk more about Lyme disease, etc.  

The thesis is specific to the summary and evaluation. Since the title had to give the meaning of the purpose of the article and prove with some data.


4. Do you understand the main points of the article? Are parts confusing? State what the article is about in one sentence.
 The article is about minimizing the risk of Lyme disease by understanding it causes.

I understand the main points of the article and there is no confusion for the summary and evaluation because it is giving details like “She provides detailed information to minimize the risk of Lyme disease, including the causes of Lyme disease and the prevention of Lyme disease”. Minimize the risk to get the Lyme disease.


5. Is the writing evaluated? Does the evaluation need to be developed or edited for clarification?
  The writing is evaluated and is very clear.
The writing is evaluated, and the evaluation needs to be developed.

6.  Are there any grammar, spelling, or punctuation mistakes? Are “you” and “I” pronouns avoided?

    There are a few grammatical errors:

 “she then explains the climate change will increase the survival and activity period of ticks”

 “Ticks attached to animals will spread wildly which causing more and more people with Lyme disease”

 These sentences need to be looked over again

There is no problem with the grammar, spelling, or punctuation mistakes. The writing has perfectly avoided the pronouns for “you” and “I”, and using “The Author” and “she”.

7. Overall, state one thing the summary/eval does well, and one thing that needs to be improved.
 The clarity of your summary and evaluation was great. I think if you talk more about what Lyme disease is it will emphasize why humans should avoid it and that will take your paper to another level.

Using the knowledge we got to minimize the risk to get sick of the Lyme disease. The summary had used “Dr. Ostfeld” a few times.