Genes from Neanderthal ancestors Covid19 risk factor

BERLIN: Scientists say genes some people have inherited from their Neanderthal ancestors may increase the likelihood of suffering severe forms of Covid19.

A study by European scientists published yesterday by the journal Nature identifies genes linked to a higher risk of hospitalisation and respiratory failure in Covid19 patients.

When they compared the genetic profiles of about 3200 hospitalised Covid19 patients and nearly 900,000 people from the general population, they found a cluster of genes on chromosome 3 inherited from Neanderthals who lived more than 50,000 years ago is linked with 60% higher odds of needing hospitalisation.

People with Covid19 who inherited this gene cluster were also more likely to need artificial breathing assistance, coauthor Hugo Zeberg of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology said in a news release.

The haplotype is found in about 16% of the population in Europe and half the population in South Asia, while in Africa and East Asia it is nonexistent.

Modern humans and Neanderthals are known to have interbred at various points in history, resulting in an exchange of genes than can still be found today.

The genes are one of several risk factors for Covid19, including age, sex and preexisting conditions like obesity, diabetes and heart problems.

The researchers say the prevalence of the particular Neanderthal gene group is highest in people from Bangladesh, where 63% are estimated to carry a copy of the haplotype.

They cite studies from the UK showing that people of Bangladeshi descent have about two times higher risk of dying from Covid19 than the general population. — AAP/Reuters