Abstract:
Chronic persistence of systemic symptoms after recovery from active CoVID-19 has become a significant disease burden, named post-CoVID syndrome. Among many pathophysiological hypotheses we focus on impaired hemostasis as well as reactivation of latent Epstein-Barr virus.
We now introduce a novel diagnostic morphological approach for visualizing microaggregates circulating in peripheral venous blood, which are large enough to impede capillary blood flow. In addition, secretion of interferon gamma by mononuclear leukocytes in response to peptides of Epstein-Barr virus is increased in these patients.
As a promising therapeutic approach, we provide retrospective data on the effect of anti-thrombotic and virostatic drugs, respectively. In a large number of patients, clinical improvement was observed after platelet inhibition, particularly when EBV was also treated with antiviral therapy.
Source: Wick N, Hermann M, Lisch C, Gerth R, Wick G, Untersmayr E, Marth T, Bachler M, Fries D. Clinical relevance of circulating blood microaggregates and reactivation of Epstein Barr Virus in long-term Post-CoVID syndrome patients. Sci Rep. 2026 Mar 8. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-42952-8. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 41796205. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-42952-8 (Full text available as PDF file)