In Poland, scientists have discovered a gene that causes a severe course of coronavirus. This was stated by the Minister of Health of the Republic Adam Nedzielski, Radio Opole reports.
The minister said that scientists, based on a study that lasted 1.5 years, identified an important element associated with the genetic structure of the infection and responsible for the fourth degree of severity of the disease. That factor is a specific gene, he pointed out.
“And this is not the end, because this discovery means that we can use this knowledge to identify people who have a predisposition to severe [течению] COVID-19,” the minister added.
Nidzelsky added that the discovery will allow the creation of a genetic test that will determine whether a patient has this gene and the degree of risk.
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In early November last year, scientists from Oxford University spoke about finding a gene that doubles the risk of a severe course of coronavirus. They conducted a genome-wide analysis that found the chromosomal territory 3p21.31 – it is associated with a two-fold increase in the risk of respiratory failure in patients with COVID-19.
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