Blood from asymptotic cases wanted
SCOTS who had mild or no Covid symptoms despite testing positive are being asked to donate blood samples for genetic research into the disease.
Scientists are particularly keen to receive donations from people of South Asian and Pakistani heritage, which can be compared against existing DNA samples from patients of the same ethnicity who became critically ill or died.
People of Asian ethnicity have accounted for nearly 5 per cent of Covid intensive care admissions.
SCOTS who had mild or no Covid symptoms despite testing positive for the infection are being asked to donate blood samples for genetic research into the disease.
Scientists are particularly keen to receive donations from people of South Asian and Pakistani heritage which can be compared against existing DNA samples from patients of the same ethnicity who became critically ill or died.
People of Asian ethnicity make up up around three per cent of Scotland’s population but have accounted for nearly 5 per cent of Covid intensive care admissions.
From Friday, pop-up blood donation centres in Glasgow and Edinburgh will be operating out of the Mercure Glasgow City Hotel in Ingram Street, and the Hilton Edinburgh Carlton Hotel in North Bridge.
Volunteers can also make an appointment for a nurse to visit them at home to collect a blood sample.
The research is part of the GENOMICC Covid-19 study, led by Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, which has already identified a number of mutations which appear to increase the risk of severe Covid illness.
These include genes involved in the immune response, which helps to explain why some people’s systems go into overdrive causing deadly lung inflammation.
Initial findings were published in the prestigious journal Nature in December, and have enabled researchers to more quickly identify potential drugs – including arthritis medications – for clinical trial.
However, to progress the research, scientists need more blood samples from people in the community to match against similar patients from intensive care.
Dr Kenneth Baillie, who is leading the project, said: “We’re issuing an urgent appeal for more volunteers from all walks of life – and in particular for people from South Asian and Pakistani communities – to come forward and register as soon as possible.
“We need to find people who tested positive for Covid but experienced either mild or no symptoms and didn’t require hospital treatment.
“For comparison purposes, it’s important that these volunteers are similar in age, gender and ethnicity of those people who were severely affected and hospitalised.”
Although people of African and Asian heritage have been more likely to die from Covid than white people during the pandemic, this is believed to be mainly due to factors which increase their risk of catching the virus – such as working in occupations which cannot be done from home or living in more crowded accommodation – rather than an inherent genetic susceptibility.
Dr Baillie added: “We have shown in another study that much of that difference is driven by socioeconomic factors or patterns of transmission.
“So although there are obvious genetic differences between people from different parts of the world, we’re actually much more similar than it looks. We’re all mixed up throughout human history.
“It’s unlikely that much of that susceptibility difference between ethnic groups is driven by genetics, but there are differences in the way genes are inherited, which mean that by including people from across the full range of the human population, we have a much better ability to tell specifically which genetic difference is actually causing people to be susceptible.”
The appeal for blood donations has been backed by Irfan Razzaq, General Secretary at Glasgow Central Mosque.
He said: “Tragically, the pandemic’s effect has been more widely felt among all ethnic communities – including some who worship here – so it’s important we help those who are making such an important contribution in the fight against Covid.
“The results from the study will not only help us here in Scotland, they’ll be shared internationally and offer more protection to some of the most vulnerable groups of people around the world.”
Despite the growing evidence that vaccinations are reducing deaths and serious illness, not everyone responds, and it will take years before a majority of the world’s population has been immunised – meaning that effective Covid treatments will continue to be a vital tool to save lives.
Dr Baillie, who is also an intensive care consultant at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
(RIE), said: “We expect that there will be people presenting to intensive care units in the UK with Covid for a long time, and around the world for an even longer time, so we really do urgently need to find ways to treat this disease.
“We can turn Covid into a treatable disease,we just need to understand it better.”
Professor Sir Mark Caulfied, chief scientist at Genomics England which is partnering in the research, said the findings could help to target vaccinations to those most at risk in future.
He said: “The findings from the GENOMICC Covid-19 Study will improve the treatment, care and outcome for those most at risk, as well as helping to prioritise future vaccinations and lower the number of deaths.”
The study is open to anyone who tested positive for Covid but experienced mild or no symptoms and did not require hospital treatment. Volunteers can register at https://covid.genomicc.org/