By JOE PINKSTONE FOR MAILONLINE
- Landmark study gathered DNA from 2,700 Covid-19 patients in 208 ICU wards
- Found five genes are regularly seen in the DNA of people with severe disease
- Researchers hope by identifying them they can become targets for drugs
Five genes have been identified which increase the likelihood of a Covid-19 patient being admitted to intensive care and dying.
A landmark study from the University of Edinburgh gathered DNA from 2,700 Covid-19 patients in 208 intensive care units across the UK.
The genetic information of these patients was compared to 100,000 anonymous Britons, and five genes emerged as being extremely common in severe Covid cases.
The importance of this study is that it identifies specific genes which play a role in coronavirus disease, and therefore exposes them as targets for potential treatments.
FULL STORY MAILONLINE
Research Publication: Genetic mechanisms of critical illness in Covid-19