Immune system genes linked to severity of COVID-19 disease

Washington: Genetic variability in the human immune system may affect susceptibility to, and severity of infection by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

The findings published in the Journal of Virology may help shed new light into the puzzling question of why the disease hits some people harder than others.

Certain immune system genes, called human leukocyte antigen genes that are involved in recognising pathogens, vary from person to person.

These variations can influence how well the immune system recognises a given pathogen.

Poor recognition of SARS-CoV-2 could cause a person to be more vulnerable to the virus, said the study. “In particular, understanding how variation in HLA (a component of the immune system containing multiple genes) may affect the course of COVID-19 could help identify individuals at higher risk from the disease,” according to the authors of the new study. (IANS)

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