Study links COVID-19 infection to reactivation of dormant viruses and worsened outcomes
Research published in Nature shows that COVID-19 can trigger dormant herpesviruses and anelloviruses, with reactivation tied to disease severity and long-COVID disability.
A new Nature paper examined longitudinal samples from more than 1,100 COVID-19 inpatients and identified significant reactivation of two viral families: Herpesviridae and Anelloviridae. Reactivation events displayed specific temporal trends throughout the course of infection. The study found that patients whose dormant viruses reawakened tended to experience more severe acute disease.
In particular, Anelloviridae reactivation was closely linked to lasting physical disability and the development of long-COVID, challenging the belief that such reactivations occur only in immunocompromised hosts. These findings suggest that monitoring dormant virus activity could become a component of COVID-19 management and long-COVID research.
Why it matters
Understanding virus reactivation helps explain severe COVID cases and may guide treatment for long-COVID patients.
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