European Scientists Discover Gene That Reduces Severity Of COVID Infection

OB Bureau

January 17, 2022 2:20 pm

Bhubaneswar: Even as the number of people infected by COVID has been growing exponentially worldwide, the researchers have claimed to have discovered the gene that reduces the severity of the infection.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the scientists and researchers have been puzzled by the behaviour of COVID-19. While the virus has affected some places severely leading to high fatality, it has spread fast but has not been so severe elsewhere.

A group of European scientists have found the reason behind it. The researchers from Sweden claimed to have discovered a gene that reduces the severity of COVID infections by 20%.

The study of scientists team has also explained why COVID hits some people harder than others. “The discovery will help create vaccines that are effective against the coronavirus,” the Hindustan Times quoted the scientists as saying.

The scientists claimed that the presence of this particular gene varies according to ethnicity. While it can be found in one third population with white European ancestry, it is present in 8 out of 10 people with African heritage.

The scientists said the gene tells the body to make a protein that is effective at breaking down Sars-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID. It also determines the length of the protein OAS-1 and when it is longer, it is better at breaking down the virus, they added.

The study has been published in Nature Genetics.