Covid: Genes hold clues to why some people get severely ill.

[2greys]

Why some people with coronavirus have no symptoms and others get extremely ill is one of the pandemic's biggest puzzles.

A study in Nature of more than 2,200 intensive care patients has identified specific genes that may hold the answer. They make some people more susceptible to severe Covid-19 symptoms. The findings shed light on where the immune system goes wrong, which could help identify new treatments.

These will continue to be needed even though vaccines are being developed, says Dr Kenneth Baillie, a consultant in medicine at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, who led the Genomicc project. "Vaccines should drastically decrease the numbers of covid cases, but it's likely doctors will still be treating the disease in intensive care for a number of years around the world, so there is an urgent need to find new treatments."

bbc.co.uk/news/health-54832563

[Badbessie]

I think it was a given that some genetic factor was playing a role. Watching the BBC this morning it may have implications in a number of inflammatory conditions. I think the only positive about Covid is the huge amount of research that as been achieved and the possibility of treatments for a number of disorders.

[2greys in reply to Badbessie]

I have to agree 100%. Perhaps my blood, donated for research only, has been involved in this study. I have no way of telling, I gave 500 ml so they had plenty to play with.

[hypercat54 in reply to Badbessie]

I was just thinking the same and it could be the push that's needed to develop new treatments for us lungies too.

[Oshgosh in reply to hypercat54]

May help with other auto immune conditions as well hopefully

[katieoxo60]

Thank you 2greys, it is probably the way you say, like pneumonia, flu ect, even with vaccine it will still be around only in smaller numbers hopefully and less serious symptoms maybe.