SEVERE COVID-19 MAY REACTIVATE DORMANT VIRUSES LINKED TO LONG COVID, STUDY FINDS SEVERE COVID-19 MAY TRIGGER DORMANT VIRUSES THAT HAVE REMAINED INACTIVE IN THE BODY AFTER PREVIOUS INFECTIONS, POTENTIALLY OFFERING NEW CLUES ABOUT THE ILLNESS AND LONG COVID.(PHOTO).

Severe COVID-19 may reactivate dormant viruses linked to long COVID, study finds

Severe COVID-19 may trigger dormant viruses that have remained inactive in the body after previous infections, potentially offering new clues about the illness and long COVID.

Researchers from Boston Children’s Hospital and more than 20 medical research centers in the United States and Canada studied 1,154 people hospitalized with COVID-19. Over the course of a year, researchers analyzed more than 200,000 biological samples from the patients.

The study identified 11 types of dormant viruses that became active within the first 40 days after patients were hospitalized with SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19.

Among the viruses that reactivated were several members of the herpesvirus family, including Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus-1. Researchers also detected reactivation of Anelloviridae, a family of viruses carried by most adults that has not been shown to cause a specific human disease.

Dormant viruses can remain inactive in healthy people but may become active when the body is under significant stress or fighting another illness.

The study found that reactivation of Anelloviridae was associated with long-term physical disability and long COVID, which refers to symptoms that continue for at least four weeks after an initial COVID-19 infection.

Researchers also found evidence that Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus may reactivate in response to inflammation rather than because the immune system has been weakened. That finding could point to a previously unrecognized way dormant viruses become active during severe illness.

The findings could help researchers better understand the biological processes involved in severe COVID-19 and long COVID and potentially contribute to the development of future diagnostic tests and treatments.

However, researchers cautioned that the study does not establish that reactivated viruses cause long COVID or long-term disability. The study focused exclusively on patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19, meaning the findings may not apply to people who experience mild or moderate infections.

The researchers said additional studies are needed to determine whether the reactivated viruses directly contribute to illness or simply become active as a consequence of severe disease.

Anelloviridae in particular remains an area of interest because the viruses have generally been considered harmless. Researchers said more work is needed to determine whether their reactivation has any role in disease.

The study also adds to ongoing efforts to understand why some people experience lasting health problems after COVID-19 while others recover without prolonged symptoms.

COVID-19 continues to cause infections and serious illness despite the end of the pandemic emergency. Researchers emphasized that vaccination remains important for people at higher risk of severe disease, particularly older adults, while scientific efforts continue to better understand both acute COVID-19 and long COVID.