Neanderthal genes increase risk of serious Covid-19, study claims | Science | The Guardian

Neanderthal genes increase risk of serious Covid-19, study claims | Science | The Guardian



An exhibit at the Neanderthal museum in Krapina, Croatia. A strand of DNA increasing the risk of developing severe Covid-19 has been inherited from the Neanderthals, scientists believe. (Nikola Solic/Reuters)

Neanderthal genes raise risk of serious COVID

A gene segment that raises the risk of severe COVID-19 was inherited from Neanderthals. In the present, the segment is carried by around 50% of people of South Asian ancestry and 16% of people with European backgrounds. “The genes in this region may well have protected the Neanderthals against some other infectious diseases that are not around today,” says geneticist Svante Pääbo. “And now, when we are faced with the novel coronavirus these Neanderthal genes have these tragic consequences.”

The Guardian | 4 min read
Reference: Nature paper