Study Finds COVID-19 Can Reactivate Dormant Viruses

A University of Texas study of over 1,100 hospitalized COVID-19 patients found that more than half experienced the reactivation of dormant viruses like herpesviruses.

Researchers linked the presence of cytomegalovirus in the nose to collapsed lungs and HSV-1 to blood clots, suggesting viral reactivation contributes to severe COVID-19 outcomes.

The study, published in Nature, highlights the need to determine if treating these reactivated chronic viruses can improve recovery for acute and long COVID patients.