Hacker News Reader

Is it possible that this remains dormant, somehow, similar to herpes viruses? Where could the virus hide? I am not a physician or scientist, but this article indicates that an S protein, like that which is present in covid-19, can bind to ace2 receptors -- so would it be unreasonable to think that it could hide, dormant, in this receptor?

https://www.cell.com/trends/pharmacological-sciences/referen...

View on HN

Viruses cant hide inside of receptors or the like. When a virus goes latent (the term you are looking for is viral latency), the genetic material of the virus finds a way to hide out inside a cell. The genetic material either floats around inside a protected area of the cell (episomal, think herpes) or actually integrates and becomes a part of your own dna (proviral, think HIV).

I don't know of any conclusive evidence yet that any coronavirus establish an HIV/herpes style latent infection. Of it turns out they do, then, to put it mildly, that is a very very very very big deal and a very very bad problem to have.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virus_latency

Reply on news.ycombinator.com