" Quite simply, I would say: "I need to get rid of that tick that's been biting me all day long." I would not say: "I have to be free from that tick." And that's why I would use "rid of" with a cold, instead of "free" (it does not https://freehomeinsulation.blogspot.com/2025/06/a-greener-scotland-begins-at-home.html