One gene variant could increase your risk of severe COVID-19 by more than 5 times

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2022-11-04 05:00

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Having a particular variant of a single gene may increase your risk of severe COVID-19 by more than five times, according to international scientists. The team looked at genetic data for nearly 580,000 people across 12 countries, 5,085 of whom had severe COVID-19. They found a rare variant of a single gene on the X chromosome that was linked to a 5.3 times increased risk of severe disease. Despite being located on the X sex chromosome, which women have two copies of while men have just one, the finding was consistent across the sexes. They suggest larger studies on rare gene variants influencing COVID-19 outcomes could provide additional insights into the causes of severe COVID-19.