Clinical Features and Outcomes of Patients with Full Spectrum of COVID-19 Severity and Concomitant Herpesvirus Reactivation

Abstract

Some studies suggested a high incidence of human herpesvirus (HHV) reactivation in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. To evaluate the prevalence of HHV reactivations in a population with various severity degrees of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we analyzed 102 individuals and compared them with 51 SARS-CoV-2-negative subjects admitted in the same period (January-July 2022) for acute respiratory failure. Positivity was found in 76% of subjects for at least one HHV, and in 46% for ≥2 HHV. These proportions were more prevalent in SARS-CoV-2-positive than in negative patients (83% vs. 61%; 56% vs. 27%, respectively). The most common HHV was HHV-7 both in the whole population (51%) and in SARS-CoV-2-positive and -negative subjects (57% and 39%, respectively); human cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus-1, Epstein-Barr virus, and HHV-6 were more represented in SARS-CoV-2-positive individuals. No single or combined HHV reactivation was associated with the 60-day mortality rate. However, cytomegalovirus reactivation was an independent predictor of COVID-19 severity and longer hospitalizations, while the occurrence of ≥3 any HHV reactivations was independently associated with the aforementioned outcomes and ventilatory support need. Taken together, our data suggest that in patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19, the diagnosis of HHV coinfections can add useful prognostic information.

Keywords: COVID-19; Epstein–Barr virus; SARS-CoV-2; coinfection; herpes simplex virus 1; human cytomegalovirus; human herpesvirus 6; human herpesvirus 7; human herpesviruses; viral reactivation.