Most people are dying too soon, says a study by the Center for the Biology of Chronic Disease (CBCD).
Latent viruses, which lie dormant in the human body, increase all-cause mortality. And almost everyone has one — such as the cytomegalovirus, Epstein–Barr virus, human papillomavirus, herpes simplex virus and others.
The viruses are "hidden" in that they may not show any signs of infection, such as a fever, weakness, headache or pain, but they are silently causing one's organs to fail.
This is especially relevant in the climate of COVID-19, where the coronavirus can actually reactivate certain latent viruses, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.
Researchers discovered viruses like Epstein-Barr, which can cause mono and other illnesses, spreading in unvaccinated people who had at some point been infected with COVID.
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The median lifespan of mice given taurine increased by 10% to 12%, the study found.
But not every latent virus will turn into a major disease, according to CBCD. That's dependent on the viral copy number; the higher the number of viral genomes hiding in one's body, the more likely they'll cause a major disease to develop sooner.
Many will not even know they have a latent virus slowly attacking them from the inside.
But a simple blood test can determine which viruses are hiding beneath the surface.
As far as treatment goes, CBCD tested two different antiviral treatments: Gene-Eden-VIR and Novirin. Tests showed that the treatments were effective against several viruses, including HPV, HSV, CMV and EBV, CBCD said.
"Almost everyone could live longer by controlling the latent viruses in their body," CBCD said in a press release.
