The Genetic Puzzle of Covid-19: How Genes Impact Symptom Presentation and Long Covid

New research is providing insights into why some people experience asymptomatic cases of Covid-19 while others suffer from long-term symptoms, known as long Covid. A study published in the journal Nature found that individuals who carry a common change to genes that code for certain immune system molecules, called human leukocyte antigens (HLAs), were more likely to have Covid-19 without any symptoms. Another study, currently available as a preprint, discovered that individuals with certain changes to genes near FOXP4, a gene involved in immune responses in the lungs, were more likely to develop long Covid. However, researchers stress that genes alone cannot determine Covid-19 outcomes, as there are likely other genetic and non-genetic factors at play. The findings may help identify individuals at risk and spur further investigation into the associations between genes and Covid-19 outcomes.