{
  "id": 3050314,
  "title": "Severe COVID-19 may wake up dormant viruses and lead to lasting physical disability, study finds",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/severe-covid-19-may-wake-up-dormant-viruses-and-lead-to-lasting",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-24T15:21:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Live Science",
    "slug": "live-science",
    "url": "https://www.livescience.com/health/viruses-infections-disease/severe-covid-19-may-wake-up-dormant-viruses-and-lead-to-lasting-physical-disability-study-finds"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new study reveals that severe COVID-19 cases may awaken dormant viruses in the body, potentially causing lasting physical disabilities. Researchers tracked 1,154 adults who had been hospitalized with COVID-19, following them for a year. During this period, they collected blood samples, nasal swabs, and lung fluid samples at various time points. The study found that many dormant viruses, including Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, and anelloviruses, reactivated during and after the acute infection. Anelloviruses, in particular, were linked to persistent physical disability from long COVID. Although the study suggests that severe COVID-19 may reawaken these viruses, further research is needed to confirm the causal relationship.",
  "summary": "Nearly half of hospitalized COVID-19 patients had a dormant virus flare back to life, and one family of viruses found in the majority of people was tied to lasting symptoms from long COVID.",
  "key_points": [
    "Severe COVID-19 may reactivate dormant viruses like Epstein-Barr and cytomegalovirus.",
    "Anelloviruses linked to persistent physical disability from long COVID.",
    "Study of 1,154 hospitalized adults followed for a year."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}