Epstein-Barr virus reactivation may be the cause of long COVID symptoms

[SheltieLover]

https://www.news-medical.net/amp/news/20210623/Epstein-Barr-virus-reactivation-may-be-the-cause-of-long-COVID-symptoms.aspx

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) reactivation resulting from the inflammatory response to coronavirus infection may be the cause of previously unexplained long COVID symptoms -- such as fatigue, brain fog, and rashes -- that occur in approximately 30% of patients after recovery from initial COVID-19 infection. The first evidence linking EBV reactivation to long COVID, as well as an analysis of long COVID prevalence, is outlined in a new long COVID study published in the journal Pathogens.

The researchers began by surveying 185 randomly selected patients recovered from COVID-19 and found that 30.3% had long term symptoms consistent with long COVID after initial recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection. This included several patients with initially asymptomatic COVID-19 cases who later went on to develop long COVID symptoms.

The researchers then found, in a subset of 68 COVID-19 patients randomly selected from those surveyed, that 66.7% of long COVID subjects versus 10% of controls were positive for EBV reactivation based on positive EBV early antigen-diffuse (EA-D) IgG or EBV viral capsid antigen (VCA) IgM titers. The difference was significant (p < 0.001, Fisher's exact test).

"We found similar rates of EBV reactivation in those who had long COVID symptoms for months, as in those with long COVID symptoms that began just weeks after testing positive for COVID-19," said coauthor David J. Hurley, PhD, a professor and molecular microbiologist at the University of Georgia. "This indicated to us that EBV reactivation likely occurs simultaneously or soon after COVID-19 infection."

More at link.

[Act_of_Reparation]

1. Fascinating.

I wonder if COVID infection might reactivate other herpesviridae as well.

[hamsterjill]

2. Christopher Cross had this.

The singer. Arthur’s Theme. Sailing.

He had COVID and developed EB. Couldn’t walk for some time, but has slowly recovered and is able to ride a bike now.

[KS Toronado]

3. How did it get the name "Epstein-Barr" ?

When reading those names, I think suicide & cover up.

[SheltieLover]

4. Not sure but it's been around a long time

Doc told me 20+ years ago that we all have it in our bodies.

[KS Toronado]

5. And here I thought it was something brand new.

Thanks, always enjoy learning.

[SheltieLover]

7. Yw

It does sound like some new brand of qpuke toxicity, doesn't it?

[KS Toronado]

10. LOL, "new brand of qpuke toxicity" , made my day!

[SheltieLover]

12. Well, it does sound like pedo rapist mixed with traitor obstructionist

[lagomorph777]

11. Yeah, it's almost ubiquitous. For some, it ruins lives.

For most, it's just silently hiding.

[SheltieLover]

9. It actually is the cause of mono

I couldn't recall - had to look it up.

[roamer65]

19. Viral mono I assume.

[SheltieLover]

21. Presumably so

[roamer65]

23. ..

Didn’t know that EBV causes mononucleosis. I always thought it was primarily a bacterial thing.

Learn something new everyday.

[SheltieLover]

27. I had a kid with lyme

Learned everything I never wanted to know.

[roamer65]

30. I bet.

I watch for ticks now when I am outside in and around wooded areas.

Lyme disease is serious stuff.

[SheltieLover]

31. Deepest, darkest rabbit hole I've ever delved into, tbh.

MDs losing licenses for testing for, confirming lyme diagnosis & prescribing antibiotics. 😳🤯😰

At the time, 21 yrs ago, the count in NY state was 72 or 74 licenses pulled.

[roamer65]

32. I understand.

I went through a MAJOR reaction to FQ antibiotics about 8 years ago. Cipro to be exact.

Was the darkest, largest hole I ever want to be in. Didn’t think I would come out alive.

No doubt they use the FQ’s on Lyme Disease patients. That would be pouring gas on a firestorm.

[SheltieLover]

33. Sorry to hear

Glad you survived!

[roamer65]

34. I am too.

That which does not kill us makes us stronger.

It is true.

[SheltieLover]

35. Usually true

Long-haulers might feel differently.

[roamer65]

36. Took me about 3 years to come around.

Never have comeback to what I was before it.

All depends on the amount of damage done and if your body can repair it.

FQ’s dissolve cartilage and tendons, also have a neurotoxin component.

I would HIGHLY advise any COVID long hauler to STAY AWAY from FQ antibiotics.

[SheltieLover]

37. Sounds awful!

What is FQ's?

[roamer65]

38. Fluoroquinolone antibiotics.

Ciprofloxacin, Levaquin, Avalox, etc.

Beware any antibiotic that name ends with “-floxacin”.

The reason I wanted the vaccine so badly was I didn’t want the syndrome reactivated.

Some people can relapse.

[SheltieLover]

39. Ty for sharing that!

I only knew it as cipro.

Had a 40 yr old friend who was hospitalized & ended up in nursing home rehab for months back then from cipro.

[roamer65]

40. Yup. Nasty stuff.

[SheltieLover]

41. Glad you're ok!

[JudyM]

42. Dear friend of mine in NY was misdiagnosed with lyme around 30 years ago

Rabbit hole is right, they had her self-infusing at home, crazy stuff, then they decided it was a spinal cord issue so they did major, chest-splitting surgery. Sadly, it ended up being MS that was causing her symptoms but they didn’t diagnose it for a number of years; the stress of those earlier treatments no doubt exacerbated her real condition. Sometimes doctors have no idea what they’re doing, even when they claim they do.

Being a high tech society doesn’t protect us from Mother Nature.

[SheltieLover]

43. Sorry to hear your friend was misdxd

Heartbreaking!

[JudyM]

44. Thanks.

She was a spectacular human, just lost her this past year
MS is one of those horrible debilitators that make me seriously grimace about where our tax dollars go under rethugs, instead of going full-bore into research.

[JCMach1]

6. Possibly some... Covid attacks the auto immune system

In general. For me, it activated an autoimmune disease called, Hidradenitis Suppurativa.

Other people have had any number of other autoimmune disorders triggered.

I am assuming it could also trigger latent viruses in your body.

From my own experience, my post-Covid issues were inflammatory and vascular topped off with the fact my lungs had to recover from massive trauma.

[SheltieLover]

8. Sorry to hear

I hope you are all better now, or at least well on the way.

[JCMach1]

13. After about 9 months I am about as well as I will probably get

And finally able to start job searching...

It has been a long, long slog...

[SheltieLover]

28. Glad you are well enough to look for work!

[meadowlander]

22. I wonder if that's why it's generally worse in adults than kids.

The longer you've been around, the longer you've had to accumulate other viruses that it can trigger.

[SheltieLover]

29. Could well be!

[Meowmee]

14. I was tested

And had an ebv reactivation at the time of covid pneumonia. I also had one at the time of onset of type 1 diabetes.

Ebv has been around a long time, it is linked to numerous auto immune diseases including now type 1 D and cancers. It was named after Michael Anthony Epstein and Evonne Barr who discovered it with Bert Achong when doing research on cancers in the 1960’s.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epstein–Barr_virus

[SheltieLover]

15. Sorry to hear you suffered with covid & EV, Meow

Ty for the info.

[Meowmee]

17. Thanks

I am also a long hauler. My father is also a long hauler, his health was destroyed by it, it mostly affected his brain, bladder and neuro effects. He has not been tested yet for EBV. I am going to ask his doctor to test him for that as well.

At the time that I tested positive for an ebv reactivation I read at least one article about study in China about patients who has severe Covid who also had EBV at the same time. So there is a connection for some people, there was no mention of long haulers in the article then.

[SheltieLover]

20. Yw, Meow

So saddened to hear about your dad, too!

I hope you both get well soon!

[roamer65]

18. It does make a lot of sense.

If your immunity drops, many latencies can become active.

[SheltieLover]

25. True

[roamer65]

24. Hopefully we can turn the mRNA vaccines on EBV.

That would be a big step forward.

I would get one.

[SheltieLover]

26. That would be great!

Super idea!

[msfiddlestix]

45. Had to click to check if this was an Onion or Borowitz piece

I see that it is an unfortunate name for a serious virus.

Strange coincidence.