Publication date: Jun 26, 2025
To determine if there is a link between prolonged COVID symptoms and the reactivation of EBV. This study was an observational (case-control) analysis involving 140 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 and are experiencing persistent symptoms such as fatigue and post-exertional malaise. Additionally, a control group of 80 individuals, matched for age and gender, who have fully recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection without these symptoms, was included. The research took place between December 2023 and March 2024 at Benha University Hospitals in Benha, Egypt. The reactivation of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was identified by detecting EBV genetic material using TaqMan probes, along with at least one set of primers (BamHI and LMP2). Initial hospitalization during acute COVID-19 infection is significantly associated with post-COVID fatigue (p-value 0. 007*). No significant associations were found for risk factors like diabetes and hypertension. EBV replication observed was due to EBV reactivation rather than primary infection. EBV-specific antibody titers EBNA-1 IgG (p-value 0. 004*) and EA-D IgG (p-value 0. 008*). 40/140 (28. 6 %) patients with COVID-19 with persistent fatigue showed EBV reactivation in contrast to 9/80 (11. 3 %) of controls (P-value 0. 003*) using the same detection methods. EBV reactivation plays a role in Long-COVID syndrome following COVID-19 infection supporting the usage of EBV inhibitors for long-term COVID-19 treatment.
| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Covid | COVID-19 |
| Diabetes | Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) |
| Genetic | fatigue |
| Hospitalization | Long-COVID |
| March | SARS-CoV-2 |
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 |
| pathway | REACTOME | SARS-CoV-2 Infection |
| disease | MESH | infection |
| disease | MESH | hypertension |
| disease | IDO | replication |
| disease | IDO | primary infection |
| disease | IDO | role |
| disease | MESH | syndrome |
| disease | MESH | Long Covid |