The major genetic risk factor for severe COVID-19 is inherited from Neanderthals

Nature. 2020 Nov;587(7835):610-612. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2818-3. Epub 2020 Sep 30.

Abstract

A recent genetic association study1 identified a gene cluster on chromosome 3 as a risk locus for respiratory failure after infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A separate study (COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative)2 comprising 3,199 hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and control individuals showed that this cluster is the major genetic risk factor for severe symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalization. Here we show that the risk is conferred by a genomic segment of around 50 kilobases in size that is inherited from Neanderthals and is carried by around 50% of people in south Asia and around 16% of people in Europe.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Asia / ethnology
  • COVID-19 / complications
  • COVID-19 / genetics*
  • COVID-19 / physiopathology*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3 / genetics
  • Europe / ethnology
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease*
  • Genetic Variation / genetics
  • Genome-Wide Association Study
  • Haplotypes / genetics
  • Hospitalization
  • Humans
  • Linkage Disequilibrium / genetics
  • Multigene Family / genetics
  • Neanderthals / genetics*
  • Phylogeny
  • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / complications
  • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / genetics
  • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / physiopathology