Antibody responses to common viruses according to COVID‐19 severity and postacute sequelae of COVID‐19

Abstract

Limited research suggests that certain viruses reactivate in severe‐acute‐respiratory‐syndrome‐coronavirus 2 infection, contributing to the development of postacute sequelae of COVID‐19 (PASC). We examined 1083 infected individuals from a population‐based cohort, and assessed differences in plasma immunoglobulin (Ig)G and immunoglobulin A levels against Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus, varicella zoster virus (VZV), BK polyomavirus, KI polyomavirus, WU polyomavirus (WUPyV), respiratory syncytial virus, and Adv‐36 according to the severity of previous COVID‐19 and PASC history. Individuals who had experienced severe COVID‐19 had higher antibody responses to latent viruses. Ever PASC, active persistent PASC, and PASC with neuropsychiatric symptoms were associated with higher immnoglobulin G to EBV early antigen‐diffuse, VZV, and WUPyV even among individuals without previous severe COVID‐19.