Mounting a COVID response may take immune system eye off any other latent viruses or dormant bacterium I imagine. If taxed, the suppressed could activate at levels not be considered infections but still cause needling, vague symptoms.

Exertional malaise appears to be longer physical recovery time that doesn’t match exertion expended or just some version of exercise intolerance all together. From personal experience, I’ve had Herpes simplex since I was a young child and I have bouts of this malaise (not just sores) if I don’t take a proper anti-viral. My adrenals are also stressed by another latent/dormant condition that once addressed and minimized allows my body to recalibrate the malaise/exercise intolerance enough to be noticeable.

The malaise that VX did not seem to affect positively could be a condition (herpes zoster, extrapulmonary TB, maybe?) that isn’t an official outbreak in the body but needs attention or a remedy before VX can optimally work. Would be intriguing to see if any trial patients had other known latent viral/bacterial conditions that may affect outcomes. If one is fighting a battle on on too many fronts, something gives and it’s unclear what may fall first.

My background is ops, nothing biochem/pharma. I’ve been in CYDY a while, maybe a shade before ohm. I read most all on here. I’ve posted some, occasional PM to posters. May chime in more.