Q&A: How studying two different viruses can lead to new strategies for more potent antiviral treatments

MedicalXpress | Mär 30, 2026

Beyond both being viruses, HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 don't seem to have a lot in common. HIV-1 is a retrovirus that integrates with its host's DNA for life and can be passed down from mother to child, while SARS-CoV-2 is contagious but temporary and cannot be inherited. And while antivirals can repress the symptoms caused by each infection, effective vaccines exist only for one. But for Rockefeller virologist Theodora Hatziioannou, the viruses have one very important thing in common: They both cause deadly pandemics.