SARS-CoV-2 proteins and anti-COVID-19 drugs induce lytic reactivation of an oncogenic virus

Abstract

Chen et al. find that SARS-CoV-2 encoded proteins and some anti-COVID-19 drugs can induce lytic reactivation of Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), one of the major human oncogenic viruses. This study suggests that KSHV-positive patients exposed to COVID-19 or undergoing its treatment may have increased risks to develop virus-associated cancers, even after they have fully recovered from COVID-19.