Severe COVID-19 linked to reactivation of some dormant viruses, study finds
Severe COVID-19 may reactivate some dormant viruses that remain in the body after previous infections, a new study suggests.
New study reveals that 11 dormant viruses, such as herpes viruses and Anelloviridae, can reactivate within 40 days of SARS-CoV-2 hospital admission for COVID-19. Researchers from Boston Children's Hospital and other U.S. and Canadian institutions analyzed over 200,000 samples collected over a year from 1,154 hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Reactivation of Anelloviridae, a virus present in most adults, has been linked to long-term physical disability and long COVID, a condition with persistent symptoms four weeks post-infection. Study co-author Dr. Ofer Levy expressed surprise at the findings, which suggest a new mechanism of viral reactivation during severe illness.
The study, published in Nature, did not establish a direct link between reactivated viruses and long COVID or long-term disability, but raises questions about their potential role in COVID-19 severity and outcome. Experts caution that more research is needed to confirm these associations and understand the implications for future diagnostics and treatments.
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