COVID-19 could reactivate symptoms of chronic fatigue, study finds

December 27, 2022 – COVID-19 can cause some previously fought viruses to reactivate inside the body, leading to symptoms like those of chronic fatigue syndrome, a new study has found.

It can happen even after a mild or asymptomatic COVID case, according to the study published in Frontiers in immunology.

Symptoms of long COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome are similar and include dizziness, rapid heartbeat, and exhaustion.

The researchers wanted to see if COVID leads to suppression of the immune system, allowing latent viruses to circulate again. These viruses are believed to be linked to common symptoms in CFS and long COVID.

“Researchers found herpes viruses…circulating in unvaccinated patients who had experienced COVID. In patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, antibody responses were stronger, signaling an immune system struggling to fight off persistent viruses,” Fortune reported.

“These non-COVID pathogens have been singled out as the likely culprits of chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis.”

The study authors wrote: “Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 were analyzed in plasma and saliva of unvaccinated individuals with CFS and healthy subjects.

The researchers detected the reactivation of viruses through fingerprints of antiviral antibodies in saliva.

“SARS-CoV-2 infection, even in its mild/asymptomatic form, is a potent trigger for reactivation of latent viruses.” “This has not been previously demonstrated as antibody elevation is not detected systemically in circulation/plasma,” they wrote.

They concluded: “Our results highlight that treatment options aimed at boosting antiviral immune responses can benefit patients with (CFS) by adjusting the delicate balance between reactivation of latent virus and an appropriate immune response.