" Quite simply, I would say: "I need to remove that tick which is been biting me all day." I would not say: "I have to be free from that tick." And that's why I'd use "rid of" with a cold, as an alternative to "free" (it does not matter https://ecograntscheme.video.blog/2025/07/20/government-grant-insulation-scheme-save-energy-cut-costs-now/