Patients with severe COVID-19 have genes that can make the infection worse. This is evidenced by the results of a study by scientists at the University of Edinburgh, published in the journal Nature.
Having examined 2.2 thousand patients with COVID-19 from more than 200 intensive care units in the UK, scientists found the same modifications of the OAS1, OAS2, OAS3 genes, as well as TYK2, DPP9 and IFNAR2. According to the text of the publication, variations in five genes were associated with the development of a severe course of COVID-19 – according to the authors of the study, they can lead to a violation of the formation of immunity and the development of pneumonia.
“If we choose the right [drug] intervention for the next clinical trials, we will find that it works earlier and could save tens of thousands of lives,” said Professor Kenneth Bailey, a consultant at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, commenting on the new cause of the severe course of coronavirus to The Guardian. …
Earlier, British doctors found that vitamin D deficiency could cause a more severe course of COVID-19. In addition, the replicating coronavirus can deplete the ACE2 protein, triggering a cytokine storm, Dr. Garrett Davis said.
