As we all know viral persistence is possibly the leading hypothesis currently driving Long Covid research. There's generally two concepts on how the virus could be persisting. On the one hand via some form of viral reservoir (possibly replication competent, possibly non-cytolytic or via some other means I'm not aware of or we don't know about) or via viral PAMPS (for example persistence of antigens like the S1-protein or the N-protein).
So far only the second form has been able to be discovered in Long Covid, however it is commonly argued that persistence in the blood for multiple years of antigens, for example the spike protein or the nucleocapsid protein, are only sensible if there is some sort of viral reservoir hiding out in the tissue. Some use the existence of Post-Vac to argue that it could be different.
As such I was wondering how this comparison holds up to other post-viral diseases in which some form of a persistent virus is known to be occuring (I don't want to discuss DNA viruses here, such as possible EBV connections to various diseases, but rather want to look at the type of viral persistence that seems more likely to be occuring in Long Covid). Are there known conditions where persistence has been observed only in form of antigens?
The classical example that is usually used when discussing viral persistence in Long Covid is post-Ebola, where viral reservoirs have been found (the caveat is that these reservoirs would maybe not have been found if the virus wasn't able to infect other people via this reservoir during intercourse, something that is extremely unlikely to be the case for SARS-COV-2). To my best knowledge other examples of reservoirs include Chikungunya, West Nile virus, Hep-C and Borrelia.
Other post-viral diseases such as long-SARS (ME/CFS), long-Q-fever and post-Polio haven't been able to establish a persistent virus in any form (possibly just due to the lack of research).
I comprehend that the small sample size of conditions with known reservoirs might not be sufficient to convince someone that is certain that a possible persistence is only viral PAMPs, but are there any known conditions where antigen persistence without a reservoir is causing some havoc?
Regarding what I am writing above please take my "knowledge" with a big grain of salt, I don't know anything, I just know the names of some things, so I'd be happy if someone enlightens me.
So far only the second form has been able to be discovered in Long Covid, however it is commonly argued that persistence in the blood for multiple years of antigens, for example the spike protein or the nucleocapsid protein, are only sensible if there is some sort of viral reservoir hiding out in the tissue. Some use the existence of Post-Vac to argue that it could be different.
As such I was wondering how this comparison holds up to other post-viral diseases in which some form of a persistent virus is known to be occuring (I don't want to discuss DNA viruses here, such as possible EBV connections to various diseases, but rather want to look at the type of viral persistence that seems more likely to be occuring in Long Covid). Are there known conditions where persistence has been observed only in form of antigens?
The classical example that is usually used when discussing viral persistence in Long Covid is post-Ebola, where viral reservoirs have been found (the caveat is that these reservoirs would maybe not have been found if the virus wasn't able to infect other people via this reservoir during intercourse, something that is extremely unlikely to be the case for SARS-COV-2). To my best knowledge other examples of reservoirs include Chikungunya, West Nile virus, Hep-C and Borrelia.
Other post-viral diseases such as long-SARS (ME/CFS), long-Q-fever and post-Polio haven't been able to establish a persistent virus in any form (possibly just due to the lack of research).
I comprehend that the small sample size of conditions with known reservoirs might not be sufficient to convince someone that is certain that a possible persistence is only viral PAMPs, but are there any known conditions where antigen persistence without a reservoir is causing some havoc?
Regarding what I am writing above please take my "knowledge" with a big grain of salt, I don't know anything, I just know the names of some things, so I'd be happy if someone enlightens me.
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