UK researchers try to crack genetic riddle of Covid-19British researchers will study the genes of thousands of ill COVID-19 patients to try to crack one of the most puzzling riddles of the novel coronavirus: why does it kill some people but give others not even a mild headache? Researchers from across the United Kingdom will sequence the genetic code of people who fell critically ill with COVID-19 and compare their genomes with those who were mildly ill or not ill at all. The hunt for the specific genes that could cause a predisposition to getting ill with COVID-19 will involve up to 20,000 people currently or previously in hospital intensive care with COVID-19 and about 15,000 people with mild symptoms. Read Now »“I would bet my house on there being a very strong genetic component to individual risk,” Baillie said. There are 4 million to 5 million differences between any two people so scientists need a big sample, Baillie said.

Source: Standard Digital May 13, 2020 06:11 UTC