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Severe COVID Reactivates Dormant Viruses in Half of Patients

8/6/2026

Summary

Story summary

Researchers led by Esther Melamed, a physician-scientist at the University of Texas at Austin, reported that severe COVID-19 reactivated dormant viruses in 1,000 hospitalized patients.
The analysis found half of the patients experienced reactivation of Epstein–Barr, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex and anelloviruses, which correlated with severe COVID-19 illness and long COVID.
Resia Pretorius, a physiologist at Stellenbosch University, noted that reawakening occurred even in healthy immune systems despite immunosuppressive drug use.

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Story summary

Researchers led by Esther Melamed, a physician-scientist at the University of Texas at Austin, reported that severe COVID-19 reactivated dormant viruses in 1,000 hospitalized patients.
The analysis found half of the patients experienced reactivation of Epstein–Barr, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex and anelloviruses, which correlated with severe COVID-19 illness and long COVID.
Resia Pretorius, a physiologist at Stellenbosch University, noted that reawakening occurred even in healthy immune systems despite immunosuppressive drug use.