Unveiling the connection: The impact of SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 vaccinations on Epstein-Barr virus reactivation
Keywords:
COVID-19, Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 vaccination, Vaccines, Covid19, SARS Cov2, Pandemic, Antigen, Efficacy, Immunity., Epstein-Barr virus, multiple sclerosisAbstract
Studies have suggested that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and COVID-19 vaccination can lead to the reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a common lymphotropic herpesvirus that spreads through saliva. In most cases, EBV infection results in cold-like symptoms; however, recent research has found that EBV infection actually increases the likelihood of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), the most pervasive neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS), by thirty-fold. This paper discusses the research that supports the link between SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 vaccination, and EBV reactivation. More than 81.4% of the world has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and more than 772 million have gotten SARS-CoV-2 infected, making the possibility of either being related to EBV a major concern 6. Some studies have shown up to 82% of EBV co-infection in COVID-19 patients, and the incidence of EBV reactivation during COVID-19 pathogenicity to be 0.48. In an additional study, 66.7% of long COVID patients were positive for EBV reactivation. This analysis has broad implications for understanding how exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus through infection or its components through COVID-19 vaccination can lead to the detrimental effects of EBV reactivation.
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