Many people complain of Long Covid symptoms after a corona infection. Researchers now want to have discovered a connection to the Epstein-Barr virus.
Frankfurt – More than 95 percent of healthy adults in the world are infected with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The virus usually only slumbers in the body and goes unnoticed. But illness, stress and other factors can reactivate the infection and trigger Pfeiffer’s glandular fever. Researchers have now found that EBV is active in most people after being infected with the coronavirus. Has the long-covid riddle been solved?
There were already signs of a connection between the Epstein-Barr virus and Corona in a study at Renmin Hospital in Wuhan, where the coronavirus broke out at the end of 2019 according to the current state of knowledge. Based on the observations made by the Chinese research team, US and Turkish researchers have now investigated the relationship between the viruses – under the direction of Jeffrey Gold from the World Organization.
Long Covid symptoms are reminiscent of illness caused by Epstein-Barr virus
“We have observed that many symptoms that are ascribed to Long-Covid are very similar to those that are associated with EBV reactivation,” the researchers wrote in the published study. The list of symptoms of Long Covid is long. Respondents gave around 200 different signs of illness in an internet survey. Those affected report the following complaints, among others:
- Difficulty concentrating
- “Brain fog”
- headache
- Memory problems
- fatigue
- Word finding disorders
- Loss of taste and smell
- sleep disorders
- Numbness
- Joint and muscle discomfort
In the new study, the team tested 185 people who were infected with Corona and have since suffered from Long Covid. The result: Almost 30 percent of the randomly surveyed people also had symptoms 30 days after the infection, so they complained about Long-Covid. When the scientists examined blood samples from these participants, they discovered that 66.7 percent had an EBV infection, which was reactivated. In people without Long Covid, the reactivated Epstein-Barr virus was only detected in ten percent of all cases.
Long Covid: What role does the Epstein-Barr virus play?
Based on the study results, Gold and his team assume that the infection with the coronavirus can trigger a reactivation of the Epstein-Barr virus. “These results suggest that many of the Long Covid symptoms may not be directly attributable to the Sars-CoV-2 virus, but rather to an EBV reactivation triggered by Covid-19,” the scientists concluded .
Since the symptoms of the two viruses are so similar, the researchers suspect that the Epstein-Barr virus is behind at least some of the Long Covid cases. “Even if EBV reactivation will not be responsible for all cases of recurring fatigue or brain fog after Covid-19, the data indicate that it plays a role in many or perhaps even most cases of Long-Covid”
Connection between Epstein-Barr and Corona: study helpful for research
Although the study with 185 respondents is very small, it could still be helpful for scientists investigating Corona. Knowledge of the connections between Sars-CoV-2 and EBV reactivation creates new possibilities for diagnosing Long-Covid and possible therapies, according to the American-Turkish research team. “We believe that it would be advisable to determine whether corona-positive patients show signs of EBV reactivation,” the study says.
There is neither a vaccination nor a treatment against the Epstein-Barr virus directly, Ärtz: Inside, if Pfeiffer’s glandular fever breaks out, all they can do is alleviate the symptoms. Ibuprofen or paracetamol can be helpful for mild illnesses, while medical professionals use the active ingredients ganciclovir or acyclovir to suppress the virus from multiplying in the body.
Ex-BVB player suffers from Long Covid – also diagnosed with Epstein-Barr virus
The evidence that there is a link between the viruses is mounting. For example, the former Borussia Dortmund professional Marco Stiepermann had to terminate his contract with an English football club because of Long Covid. “In the high stress phase during games and training, I kept getting dizzy spells. For half a year I didn’t know what was wrong with me and nobody could help me, ”said Stiepermann in an interview with“ Sport Bild ”. He was diagnosed with the Epstein-Barr virus at the end of 2020.
“And the doctors assume that I also suffer from long covid, the long-term consequences of a corona infection,” said the 30-year-old. Again and again he suffered from severe headaches, dizziness and fatigue. (Tim Vincent Dicke)
