In the midst of the increasing cases of covid-19 worldwide with new and more contagious variants being introduced, researchers in Sweden have identified an exact gene variant that provides protection against serious coronavirus infections.

Sources claim that the research at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden identified the new gene variant by examining people with different ancestry. The results of the study published in the journal Natural Genetic show that genes control whether the extent of COVID-19 infection will be severe or mild.

According to credible sources, previous studies conducted on people of European descent have found that people with a certain segment of DNA have a 20% lower risk of developing a serious COVID-19 infection. Apparently, DNA inherited from the Neanderthals is found in almost all people outside Africa and encodes genes in the immune system.

However, the identification of the protective gene variant becomes a challenge because the entire DNA region has many genetic variants packed within. It has been reported that the identification of this variant is crucial as it can help in medical treatment against coronavirus infection.

For the uninitiated, to identify the gene variant, the researchers focus mainly on people of African descent unrelated to the Neanderthals. In addition, DNA in humans of both European and African descent has the same gene variant.

According to sources, in the analysis based on the hospital stay of covid-19 patients, 2787 patients were of African origin and the remaining 130 997 were people from six group studies.

It has been speculated that the protective gene variant, rs10774671-G, reports the extent of the protein determined by the OAS1 gene.

Studies also reflect that long variants of the protein are more effective in dissolving the virus that causes covid-19.

Source credits: – https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/coronavirus-researchers-in-sweden-identify-gene-variant-that-protects-against-covid-2712291