GeNeuro: Researchers Detect HERV-W ENV in COVID-19 Patients and Link Expression to Disease Severity Data published in the Lancet's EBioMedicine shows that the pathogenic envelope protein of the human endogenous retrovirus W (HERV-W ENV) is found on lymphocytes of hospitalized patients with COVID-19, and that its level of expression is associated with disease severity. HERV-W ENV's pro-inflammatory properties thought to act as an "accelerant" of the activation of the innate immune system, fueling the severity of COVID-19 evolution and impacting long term recovery. Preliminary data available on Research Square also shows HERV-W ENV expression in lymphocytes following in vitro exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in about 20% of healthy blood donors, suggesting individual susceptibility.