Oct 23, 2026 · 14 min
Astronauts reveal how dormant viruses may shape long COVID
The dormant viruses in all of us may help explain long COVID
Understanding when latent viruses reactivate could help researchers distinguish the mechanisms driving long COVID and develop more targeted treatments.
- 1Spaceflight stress can reactivate multiple dormant viruses, offering a model for studying severe illness and physiological stress on Earth.
- 2Researchers are weighing viral reactivation, persistent SARS-CoV-2, inflammation, and autoimmunity as possible contributors to long COVID.
- 3Dormant viruses rarely threaten healthy young adults, so scientists are seeking targeted vaccines and treatments rather than universal eradication.
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Akiko Iwasaki compares the interacting effects of infection, inflammation, and autoimmunity to falling dominoes, pointing toward mechanism-specific treatment.
The brief
Astronauts can experience reactivation of several dormant viruses during spaceflight, suggesting that extreme physiological stress may reveal similar processes after severe illness on Earth.
Akiko Iwasaki explains how herpes viruses hide from immune detection, persist in the body, and remain locked in an evolutionary arms race with the immune system.
The long COVID puzzle has several competing pieces: Epstein-Barr and other herpes viruses, persistent SARS-CoV-2, inflammation, and autoimmune attacks may all matter.
Iwasaki compares infection, inflammation, and autoimmunity to falling dominoes, arguing that identifying each patient’s mechanism could make treatment more precise.
The episode’s practical conclusion is measured: dormant viruses usually pose little danger to healthy young adults, while better vaccines and research remain the priority.
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