COVID may reactivate dormant viruses hidden in the bodies of otherwise healthy people
It’s a viral blast from the past. A new study suggests that COVID-19 can flip the switch on long-dormant viruses quietly hiding inside the bodies of people who were otherwise healthy before they fell ill.Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin say the viral reawakening could help explain some of the mysteries behind long COVID, a debilitating chronic condition that affects millions around the globe.The study followed more than SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease.
None had received a coronavirus vaccine at the time.The researchers grouped the patients based on how severely they were affected, from those who had mild cases and recovered quickly to those who died within 28 days of being admitted to the hospital.The team collected samples throughout their hospital stays and for up to a year after discharge.
The samples came from blood, nasal passages and, in patients who needed ventilators, fluid from breathing tubes.After putting the samples through a battery of tests, the researchers found that nearly half of the patients had at least one dormant virus spring back to life during their COVID-19 illness.The reawakened pathogens included Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mononucleosis, as well as other members of the herpes family.These viruses can lurk in the body for years before flaring up during times of stress or illness.“This finding suggests that COVID-19 may not always act as a single viral infection and may disrupt the body’s internal ecosystem of dormant viruses,” Dr.
Cole Maguire, the study’s lead author, said in a press release.Even more surprising, the viral reawakening wasn’t limited to people with weakened immune systems.It frequently happened in patients who had been healthy before coming down with COVID-19.Those whose dormant infections resurfaced were more likely to suffer severe illness, spend more time in the hospital, develop serious complications and die.The researchers said the discovery could eventually change ho...