Severe COVID-19 Linked to Reactivation of 11 Dormant Viruses

A study of 1,154 hospitalized patients published in Nature found that severe COVID-19 can reactivate 11 types of dormant viruses within 40 days of admission.

Researchers identified that herpesviruses and Anelloviridae, which are typically inactive, reactivated in response to inflammation rather than immune system failure.

The study estimates that up to 50,000 Americans died from COVID-19 between 2025 and 2026, with 10 million experiencing long COVID symptoms in the preceding year.