Although masking, social distance, and vaccination are as soon as possible, they are good ways to reduce your risk of catching COVID, but new research suggests that there is another factor that may reduce your risk of getting serious COVID develop symptoms. According to a study conducted by researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University in March 2021 of PNAS, a specific DNA marker can protect someone from a case of COVID that deserves hospitalization. Read on to discover what the researchers found and how it may affect you. And if you want to protect yourself, says dr. Fauci that this is one of the worst things you can do at the moment.
In the Okinawa study, researchers discovered that a specific group of Neanderthal genes – specifically those that affect chromosome 12 – that still exist in individuals today may help reduce the risk of a person from COVID needing intensive care with 22 percent , to reduce.
“Despite the fact that Neanderthals became extinct about 40,000 years ago, their immune system still affects us in a positive and negative way,” explained geneticist and co-author. Svante Pääbo, PhD, in a statement. And sign up for our daily newsletter for the latest COVID news.
The authors of the study discovered that the specific genetic variant transmitted by the Neanderthal DNA could reduce the severity of COVID by a specific mechanism. This specific genetic factor – identified in three Neanderthals ranging from 50,000 years old to 120,000 years old – leads to the production of virus-fighting enzymes in the human body.
“The enzymes encoded by the Neanderthal variant appear to be more efficient, reducing the chance of serious SARS-CoV-2 infections,” Pääbo said.
And if you want to stay safe when you’m out of the house, The CDC has just issued a warning about this type of face mask.
The researchers of the study found that the genetic variant is widespread throughout the world. “It is present in populations in Eurasia and the Americas at frequencies that often reach and exceed 50 percent,” according to the PNAS study. In Japan alone, about 30 percent of individuals carry the genetic trait, while the researchers of the study found that it is “almost completely absent” in sub-Saharan Africa. And if you have a vaccine appointment, the CDC warns you not to do it before getting vaccinated.
Although the identified Neanderthal DNA variant may provide protection for those who have it, it will not necessarily eliminate other risk factors for the development of severe COVID.
“Of course, other factors such as advanced age or underlying conditions such as diabetes have a significant impact on how ill an infected individual can become,” Pääbo explained.