[Reading Science] Why Was COVID-19 More Severe Only for Some People?

UK Research Team Identifies 49 Severe-Associated Genetic Variants
Gene Analysis Results of Over 24,000 Early Patients

Why was COVID-19, which swept the world over the past three years, particularly severe for only some individuals? Scientists have identified genetic variants associated with severe cases through a large-scale case study.

Data image. Image source=Pixabay

The 'GenOMICC' collaborative research team, consisting of over 2,000 scientists including Professor Kenneth Baillie from the University of Edinburgh, UK, published this paper on the 17th (local time) in the international journal Nature. The team analyzed the genes of more than 24,000 patients who were mainly infected during the early spread of COVID-19 in 2019 and progressed to severe cases requiring intensive care. The results confirmed that there are dozens of genetic factors causing severe symptoms in these patients. The focus was particularly on genetic variants related to the human immune system playing a crucial role.

Specifically, a total of 49 DNA sequences were associated with severity, of which 16 were newly discovered. Some were found to affect the roles of genomes and proteins responsible for the immune system. Immune cells that overreact to COVID-19 have been known to be linked to tissue damage occurring in patients at the late severe stage. The research team confirmed a genetic link between the activity of immune cells that damage lung tissue?reducing the body's ability to deliver oxygen throughout?and inflammatory responses.

The research team expects that these findings will help improve COVID-19 treatment methods and prepare for future pandemics. Additionally, an international collaborative research team from 54 countries is conducting similar studies by collecting data worldwide through a project called the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative. Adding to the UK study results, which were mainly conducted on European populations, securing racial diversity is expected to produce more generalizable research outcomes on the genetic factors of severe COVID-19.

Professor Alexander Hoischen, a genetics professor at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands, explained, "It is important to verify results among different datasets to confirm the possibility that common genetic variants are involved in the pathology," adding, "This research is an initial step necessary for developing new treatments, but there is still a long way to go."