Research, Long Covid genetics revealed: a variant increases the risk by 60%

Some people are more predisposed than others to developing Long Covid , and the reason could be found in DNA. A large international genetic study , published today in the journal Nature Genetics , has in fact identified new genetic variants associated with a higher risk of developing post-Covid syndrome, characterized by symptoms such as chronic fatigue, muscle pain, difficulty breathing and mental “fog” . In particular, one is associated with a 60% increased risk of developing it. Around 10-20% of people infected with Covid-19 develop long-term symptoms. Until now, the causes underlying the condition were largely unknown. To shed light, 24 research centers and hospitals in 16 countries have joined forces .

Led by the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland and the Karolinska Institutet, the research saw an important role from Italy thanks to the contribution of the University of Milan, the University of Siena and the Institute of Biomedical Technologies of the CNR, with data from the Covid-19 Genomic Study and Gen-Covid Foundation. The genome-wide association study analyzed the genetic data of 6,450 patients with Long Covid and over a million individuals without this symptomatology. In this way, it identified a genetic locus, or a specific point in the genome, on chromosome 6, near the FoxP4 gene, already known in literature for its role in respiratory infections and the immune response. This locus appears to be associated with the predisposition to develop Long Covid , with a risk of developing its symptoms increased by almost 60% in subjects who have the genetic variant identified in the study in their DNA. The result was validated on 9,500 other patients and over 700,000 controls. “The research – the authors say – provides concrete evidence of how individual genetics can influence susceptibility to Long Covid. This will allow us to identify people at risk and improve clinical practice in treatment”.