{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,20]],"date-time":"2026-10-20T20:32:57Z","timestamp":1792528377483,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":7,"publisher":"Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)","issue":"10","content-domain":{"domain":["lww.com","ovid.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Herpes zoster (HZ) is a manifestation of the reactivation of latent varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection in the dorsal root ganglion. The occurrence of HZ has been reported in association with COVID-19. Herein, we describe 10 cases who developed classic HZ within 2\u20133 weeks of acquiring COVID-19 infection. The triggers in these patients could be severe stress (related to quarantine issues, fear of hospitalisation and death) immune dysregulation and systemic steroid therapy in treating COVID-19. The clinical patterns and therapeutic responses observed were similar to HZ in immunocompetent persons. Increased expression of NKG2A on NK and CD8+ T cells has been proposed as a pathophysiologic mechanism in triggering HZ at the molecular level in COVID-19 patients. Primary physicians should be aware of this association to counsel and treat such patients appropriately, as initiating early treatment could minimise the risk of complications like postherpetic neuralgia.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4103\/jfmpc.jfmpc_2112_22","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,9]],"date-time":"2023-10-09T15:38:01Z","timestamp":1696865881000},"page":"2516-2519","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1097\/lww.0000000000001000","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Association between COVID-19 infection and herpes zoster: A case series"],"prefix":"10.4103","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Murali","family":"Narasimhan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Chengalpet, Tamil Nadu, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ramachandran","family":"Ramakrishnan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Chengalpet, Tamil Nadu, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Priya Cinna T.","family":"Durai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Chengalpet, Tamil Nadu, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Boggarapu","family":"Sneha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Dermatology, SRM Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Chengalpet, Tamil Nadu, India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"276","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,10,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"R2-20260203","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"32","DOI":"10.1056\/NEJM199607043350107","article-title":"Postherpetic neuralgia\u2014pathogenesis, treatment, and prevention","volume":"335","author":"Kost","year":"1996","journal-title":"N Engl J Med"},{"key":"R3-20260203","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e13666","DOI":"10.1111\/dth.13666","article-title":"Herpes zoster might be an indicator for latent COVID 19 infection","volume":"33","author":"Elsaie","year":"2020","journal-title":"Dermatol Ther"},{"key":"R4-20260203","first-page":"e212","article-title":"Cutaneous manifestations in COVID-19: A first perspective","volume":"34","author":"Recalcati","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol"},{"key":"R5-20260203","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1159\/000512932","article-title":"Skin manifestations associated with COVID-19: Current knowledge and future perspectives","volume":"237","author":"Genovese","year":"2021","journal-title":"Dermatology"},{"key":"R6-20260203","first-page":"e8998","article-title":"Herpes zoster co-infection in an immunocompetent patient with COVID-19","volume":"12","author":"Saati","year":"2020","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"R7-20260203","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1581","DOI":"10.1099\/vir.0.000128","article-title":"A comparison of herpes simplex virus type 1 and varicella-zoster virus latency and reactivation","volume":"96","author":"Kennedy","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Gen Virol"},{"key":"R8-20260203","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"533","DOI":"10.1038\/s41423-020-0402-2","article-title":"Functional exhaustion of antiviral lymphocytes in COVID-19 patients","volume":"17","author":"Zheng","year":"2020","journal-title":"Cell Mol Immunol"}],"container-title":["Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.4103\/jfmpc.jfmpc_2112_22","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,14]],"date-time":"2026-08-14T19:26:56Z","timestamp":1786735616000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ovid.com\/10.4103\/jfmpc.jfmpc_2112_22"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,10]]},"references-count":7,"journal-issue":{"issue":"10","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4103\/jfmpc.jfmpc_2112_22","relation":{},"ISSN":["2249-4863","2278-7135"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2249-4863","type":"print"},{"value":"2278-7135","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,10]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2022-10-29","name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2023-04-18","name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}]}}