DNA is providing new clues as to why COVID-19 hits people differently

The mercurial nature of coronaviruses has been evident since the beginning of the pandemic. When infected, some people experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, or perhaps no symptoms at all, while others experience severe illness and even die from COVID-19.

What determines this fate is complex and somewhat puzzling. Researchers are looking at a wide range of potential contributing factors, including genetic cues, underlying conditions, demographics, vaccination status, and preexisting disease.

They were 12 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than those who had received two or more booster shots, and older people and those who had not received the vaccine were more likely to have serious disease complications and an increased risk of hospitalization and death compared to those who had already received the COVID vaccine. The findings come from a study based on August data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pre-existing conditions including diabetes, obesity, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, kidney disease, and diabetes make some people more susceptible than others. Therefore, negative effects of COVID-19 are likely to occur at any age. This is especially true for people with cancer, as their immune systems are compromised. While certain varieties of asthma may offer protection from the disease. Researchers have also been looking for genetic hints.

Protection from COVID-19 may come from Neanderthal genetic variants, according to several studies. A recent investigation focused on a section of chromosome 12 in which haplotypes, or collections of inherited genetic variants, affect a person's vulnerability to coronaviruses. According to the study, published on March 2 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, for every Neanderthal haplotype a person inherits, the probability of needing intensive care decreases by about 22 percent. Thus, the idea that specific genetic variants acquired from Neanderthals may prevent the development of severe COVID-19 is further supported. These variants may alter the function or activity of genes involved in disrupting the metabolic cascade of viral RNA, including that of coronaviruses. In sub-Saharan Africa, where few people possess Neanderthal genes, protective variants are mostly absent. Protective variants are common in approximately 25-30% of modern Asian and European individuals. Protective haplotypes have also been passed on to certain blacks in the Americas, most likely from Asian, European or Native American ancestors.

On the other hand, genetic inheritance from other Neanderthals increases the chance of developing serious diseases. Researchers previously found that a unique haplotype on chromosome 3 inherited from Neanderthals raised the risk of developing serious diseases. These findings suggest that genetic inheritance may enhance or impair the immune system's ability to cope with disease. An extensive multinational survey analyzing the DNA of nearly 600,000 uninfected and more than 28,000 COVID-19 patients found that Neanderthal ancestry is a factor in COVID-19 susceptibility.

In addition, it supports a previous study that suggested that people with blood type O may have some resistance to infection with coronavirus. It is not known what the exact cause of this protection is.

Carriers of the Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) gene variant have a 5.3-fold increased risk of developing severe COVID-19 compared to non-carriers. This association is biologically significant. Due to the protein found on TLR7, the immune system is informed that the virus has infiltrated. Interferon is an immune system molecule that is one of the earliest responses to viral infection and one of the tasks it performs. Interferons help destroy infected cells by alerting them to increase their antiviral defenses.

In addition, the TYK2 gene has a role in the production of certain interferons. Variants of this gene may be protective against coronavirus infection, but increase the likelihood of developing lupus. This genetic trade-off is widespread; while activating interferon protects against coronavirus, when there is no virus to fight, the immune system may harm the body through the friendly fire, leading to lupus or other autoimmune diseases.

Regardless, of the genetic variables. It is crucial to identify the difficulties people have to prevent the negative effects of Covid-19. For example, if your profession requires you to deal with many people on a regular basis, you will undoubtedly increase your chances of landing Covid.

Since you have no control over the genetic cards given to you, the only way to avoid spreading the disease is to properly protect yourself. All vulnerable people should wear masks, stay away from crowds, wash their hands, and stay immunized, as stated by Labaki.