Found, a gene that doubles risk of virus killing you

MILLIONS of people in Britain have a genetic quirk that doubles the risk of dying from Covid-19.

A scientific breakthrough has identified the most important gene linked to the virus so far, called LZTFL1.

While everyone has the gene, 0 per cent of those with South Asian ancestry carry a version of it that doubles the risk of respiratory failure from Covid. It is found in 15 per cent of white British people.

This could partially explain the higher death rate among those with South Asian ancestry in the UK and the impact of Covid-19 in India, where more than four million are thought to have died.

Research by Oxford University scientists suggests those with the more dangerous version of the gene have lung cells that let the virus in more easily. But vaccines work just as well to protect these people, according to their study published in Nature Genetics.