Finding could partly explain excess deaths seen in some communities in the UK and in south Asia
Scientists have identified a gene that doubles the risks of respiratory failure and death from Covid and could explain why people of south Asian heritage are more vulnerable to the disease.
The gene, which changes the way the lungs respond to infection, is the most important genetic risk factor identified so far and is carried by roughly 60% of people with south Asian backgrounds, compared with 15% of those with white European backgrounds. The finding could partly explain the excess deaths seen in some communities in the UK and the impact of Covid-19 in the Indian subcontinent.
