Signs of an ancient covid epidemic found in the DNA of East Asians.
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It’s possible that DNA adjustments to coronavirus epidemics over many thousands of years may contribute to lower COVID-19 infection and death rates reported in East Asian nations, versus European countries and the United States, Quintana-Murci speculates. But it’s unknown at this point what, if any, effect those DNA tweaks could have. Many factors, including jobs that can’t be done remotely and lack of health care access, drive COVID-19 infections, he says (SN: 11/11/20; SN 7/2/20). And social factors, such as quick, strict lockdowns and widespread mask wearing, may have deterred infections in some East Asian nations.
Large-scale genetic studies in modern East Asians and probes of ancient human DNA spanning the past 25,000 years are needed to explore how the 42 identified gene variants may contribute to COVID-19 or other coronavirus infections. Those variants may also present opportunities for developing COVID-19 treatments, Enard said. So far, though, only four of those genes are targets of 11 drugs being used or investigated in studies of COVID-19 treatments, he said.
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a tip of the hat to Sukie
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