(Image source from: sciencealert.com)

The researchers of Sweden identified a new specific gene variant that can protect the people against the infection of coronavirus. The team of researchers at Karolinska Institute in Sweden traced the gene variant after conducting studies on different people for months. The entire study is published in the journal Nature Genetics and it shows that the genes can have an impact on those who are infected with coronavirus on a mild note or a severe note. The study told that the DNA segment encodes the genes of the immune system. This region of DNA is packed with various genetic variants.

This variant can potentially serve as a treatment against the patients who are severely impacted with the coronavirus as per the research team. The individuals carrying the parts of the DNA segment are traced and the research was done. The researchers have been focused on individuals with African ancestry. This DNA region is same in African and European ancestries. The individuals of the African ancestry had the same protection as those of the European ancestry. Jennifer Huffman, a researcher at the VA Boston Healthcare System in the US told "The fact that individuals of African descent had the same protection allowed us to identify the unique variant in the DNA that actually protects from COVID-19 infection".

By Siva Kumar