Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation in post COVID-19

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Infectious Diseases
• Immunology

Background:

• Long-COVID syndrome presents with persistent symptoms post-SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a common herpesvirus known for latency and reactivation.
• The potential role of viral reactivation in chronic post-viral syndromes remains an area of active investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between prolonged COVID-19 symptoms and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation.
• To identify potential risk factors contributing to the development of Long-COVID syndrome.

Main Methods:

• An observational case-control study was conducted with 140 COVID-19 patients experiencing persistent symptoms and 80 recovered controls.
• EBV reactivation was detected using TaqMan probes and specific primers to identify EBV genetic material.
• EBV-specific antibody titers (EBNA-1 IgG, EA-D IgG) were analyzed.

Main Results:

• A significant association was found between initial hospitalization during acute COVID-19 and post-COVID fatigue (p=0.007).
• EBV reactivation was observed in 28.6% of patients with persistent fatigue compared to 11.3% in controls (p=0.003).
• Elevated EBV-specific antibody titers (EBNA-1 IgG, EA-D IgG) further supported EBV reactivation.

Conclusions:

• Epstein-Barr virus reactivation is implicated in the pathogenesis of Long-COVID syndrome.
• Findings support the potential therapeutic benefit of EBV inhibitors for managing persistent symptoms after COVID-19.