Why do some people become desperately ill from the COVID-19 virus, while others are little affected? Edinburgh University researchers have studied the DNA of patients in intensive care across the UK, compared this with samples from healthy volunteers, and found key differences in five human genes. The activity of some of these enhances the effects of the virus, while others damp it down, in each case opening the possibility of new targeted treatments.

Team leader of the GenOMICC study, Dr Kenneth Baillie, describes the work and its implications.

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