Long COVID Atlas
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Plain-language first, with specialist detail below. For understanding, not medical advice.

Long COVID Atlas › Glossary › EBV reactivation

Virology

EBV reactivation

https://longcovidatlas.org/glossary/ebv-reactivation

In plain language

What it is

A common dormant virus (Epstein-Barr) waking back up after COVID.

Why it matters

It is associated with long COVID symptoms like fatigue, though it is not present in everyone.

Think of it like

An old infection stirring from sleep when the body is stressed.

An immune system that will not switch off Persistent viral antigenAutoantibodiesExhausted, misfiring T cells Immune systemkept activated chronic inflammation, tissue effects
In long COVID the immune system often behaves as though the threat never ended. Lingering viral antigen, antibodies that attack the body's own receptors, and T cells stuck in an exhausted, miscoordinated state all keep it switched on. The result is low-grade, chronic inflammation that can injure tissue far from where the virus first landed.

For specialists

Formal definition

Serological evidence of recent EBV reactivation (EA-D IgG, high EBNA IgG) associated with long COVID in several cohorts.

Mechanism

Immune disruption after SARS-CoV-2 may permit herpesvirus reactivation; causation remains unproven and it is not a prerequisite.

Sources

Related terms

T-cell exhaustion