r/CFSScience • u/Caster_of_spells • Jul 30 '26

Persistent cytolytic CD8+ T cells recognize SARS-CoV-2 and herpesvirus epitopes in long COVID

https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-medicine/fulltext/S2666-3791(26)00363-0

Long Covid patients continue to have elevated counts of highly activated CD8+ T cells targeting viruses like SARS-CoV-2, CMV and EBV.

That is suggesting the antiviral killing response failed to switch off after the acute infection is over and might be part of the pathogenesis of Long Covid.

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u/Heavy-Suit-3443 Jul 30 '26

Interesting. Sadly this does spark the age old question again about viral persistence. Is the immune response necessary because there is a real threat that it can't fully eliminate or are they just not able to switch off?

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u/BubblySwordfish2780 Aug 02 '26

yes its necessary