Gambling on whether or not you'll contract COVID-19 may be a real possibility: Some people have a cold from it, while others develop a life-threatening illness. Scientists are starting to understand the genetic and other elements that influence the outcome of an infection.
The coronavirus's fickle character has been on full show since the outbreak first started. People infected with COVID-19 may have a wide range of symptoms, from a light cold to no symptoms at all to severe disease and even death.
What exactly decides that is a mystery shrouded in complexity. Researchers are considering a vast array of potential contributors, including population structure, history of disease, immunisation history, and even genetic markers.
Scientists have observed that the likelihood of life-threatening illness complications increases with age. Unvaccinated persons also have a higher risk of hospitalisation and mortality from COVID than vaccinated people do.
According to August statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, those aged 50 and older who had not been vaccinated were 12 times more likely to die from COVID-19 than those who had had two or more booster injections. On August 28, for instance, the mortality rate was 5.46 per 100,000 among the unvaccinated, whereas it was 0.49 per 100,000 among those who had had two or more boosters.
Vaccination rates are still monitored, even among those who have been vaccinated. People aged 50 and more who had received their first two vaccinations but no boosters were 1.27 times as likely to die that month as their counterparts who had had two or more boosters.
Existing medical conditions
Bad results from COVID-19 may occur at any age, but they are more likely for those with preexisting health issues such heart disease, renal illness, COPD, diabetes, and obesity. However, having a certain kind of asthma may actually prevent you from becoming sick (SN: 5/2/22).
Patients with cancer have a higher risk of contracting COVID-19. Still, some cancer patients are more at risk than others.
Cancer patients who are immunosuppressed due to underlying immune system issues or the use of immune-dampening drugs are more likely to experience severe COVID-19, death, or the development of cytokine storm on November 3; cytokine storm is a whirlwind of immune chemicals that can set off tissue- and organ-damaging inflammation. People with compromised immune systems receiving cancer immunotherapy had more severe side effects than those receiving other chemotherapies or receiving no treatment at all.
Cancer patients with compromised immune systems "should be extremely vigilant and take tight precautions to avoid them from contracting COVID-19," says Chris Labaki, a cancer researcher at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and a coauthor of the study.
Make extensive use of masks, sanitise everything (especially your hands), and avoid spreading germs. If you're worried about contracting COVID-19, you shouldn't travel to locations where lots of people congregate. He suggests that anyone who have contact with cancer patients should take extra precautions to prevent contracting the coronavirus.
Indices at the Genetic Level
In contrast, COVID-19 may cause severe illness and even death in young and otherwise healthy persons. Researchers are looking for genetic indications, but it's difficult to say who will die.
Studies have shown that some Neandertal gene variants may provide protection against COVID-19, whereas other Neandertal genetic heritage might significantly increase the likelihood of developing a life-threatening illness.
Inheritance from Neandertals is implicated in COVID-19 susceptibility, according to the results of a large multinational research that analysed the DNA of more than 28,000 COVID-19 patients and almost 600,000 persons who had not been affected (to the best of their knowledge).
Additionally, the findings reinforced the hypothesis that those with blood type O may be more resistant to contracting the coronavirus. The precise mechanism(s) responsible for this safeguarding have yet to be identified.
The scientists also published on November 3 in PLOS Genetics that people with uncommon mutations in a gene called toll-like receptor 7, or TLR7, are 5.3 times more likely to have severe COVID-19 than those without the changes. That connection makes sense from a biological standpoint. When a virus invades a host, the TLR7 protein plays a role in alerting the immune system. It is responsible, in part, for coordinating the immune system molecules called interferons, which are among the first reactions to viral infections. Interferons signal to cells to ramp up their antiviral defences and aid in the death of infected cells.
Some interferons need the action of a gene called TYK2. In a second study published on the same day (November 3) in PLOS Genetics, researchers reveal that variations in this gene increase the likelihood of getting lupus, but may protect against coronavirus infection. While increasing interferons may protect against the coronavirus, doing so may lead to the development of lupus or another autoimmune illness in the absence of a real enemy to fight. Such compromises at the genetic level are widespread.
Several large-scale investigations have discovered evidence linking numerous different genes to COVID-19 results. Potentially useful medications for treating the condition may be suggested by some of the results.
Exposure Potential
However, none of these studies can predict with certainty how severely ill a person will get after contracting COVID-19. According to 23andMe, a firm that analyses genetic material, I have less than 2% Neandertal DNA. I don't know whether it includes the variations that protect me from infection or the ones that make me more prone to serious illness. So what if I got both of them? To what extent does it interact with my blood type and other genetic variations?
Then there's the little matter of age, health, and surroundings to consider. The final one is, without a doubt, the most crucial. Work-related exposure to others increases one's chance of contracting COVID-19 compared with being at home.
Whether you like it or not, that's the genetic card you were given (at least not until gene editing is perfected). Several professionals I've consulted have told me that enhancing the quality of the air inside public buildings is essential in the fight against disease. That's also beyond the control of the typical person. Yet there are measures you may do to protect yourself. Everyone would benefit from following Labaki's recommendations for cancer patients, which include wearing a mask, avoiding crowds, and frequently washing one's hands.
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