COVID-19 infection linked to reactivation of latent viruses, including a family tied to long COVID

In a collaborative Nature study, scientists from Boston Children’s Hospital and 14 additional research hospitals examined more than a thousand COVID-19 patients to uncover biomarkers of disease severity. Genomic sequencing revealed eleven latent viruses becoming active within 40 days of hospital admission, with Epstein-Barr, herpes simplex 1, cytomegalovirus and Anelloviridae being the most frequent. Notably, the reappearance of Anelloviridae—a virus family latent in roughly 90% of people—correlated strongly with long-term disability and long COVID.

The investigators also found that heightened systemic inflammation, not immunosuppression, seemed to prompt reactivation of Epstein-Barr and CMV. Ofer Levy emphasized that these insights could guide future diagnostics and therapeutic strategies for the millions affected by long COVID. The researchers plan further work to map immune responses to these reactivated viruses and determine optimal intervention timing.