Earlier quoted context omitted.
You're ignoring how life-altering it becomes as one ages and the immune system declines. I've had elderly relatives down with shingles, caused by the herpes virus, for months . Their shingles being a very latent reappearance of Chickenpox acquired in childhood. These viruses are opportunistic, and you will grow weaker in time, if you don't die first. The stigma, in this case, is appropriate in my opinion. It surprise…
Can you provide a source other than anecdotes of relatives?
WRT Herpes Simplex recurrence in particular: "Causes of recurrence may include: decreased immune function, stress, and sunlight exposure." [1]
This isn't unique to Herpes, if you have HPV it's going to be an increasing nuisance with age. A major component of what makes growing old awful is everything your immune system kept in check slowly consumes you.