Severe COVID-19 may awaken previously inactive viruses
Image credit: fusion_medical_animation via Unsplash
A new study published in the journal Nature suggests that severe COVID-19 may trigger the reactivation of viruses that have remained dormant in the body. Researchers identified 11 viruses that reactivated within the first 40 days after hospital admission, highlighting how severe COVID-19 can disrupt immune control over latent infections. The findings may help explain some complications seen in critically ill patients and could offer new insight into how prolonged immune dysfunction contributes to recovery and post-COVID health problems.
Source
Maguire, C., Chen, J., Rouphael, N. et al. Virus reactivation in acute and long COVID-19. Nature (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10740-z
Additional Reading
https://www.science.org/content/article/covid-19-can-wake-dormant-viruses-body-large-study-confirms