A recent study published in the journal Nature Genetics reported that genetic risk factors for influenza and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are distinct. Influenza and COVID-19 are respiratory diseases caused by the influenza virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and share clinical risk factors and symptoms. However, the extent of their shared genetic etiology remains unclear because the host genetic risk factors for COVID-19 are well characterized but not for influenza.
Identifying common genetic risk factors could reveal targets to treat or prevent both infections. Study: Genetic risk factors for COVID-19 and influenza are largely distinct . PhotoRedHeart / Shutterstock The study and findings In the present study, researchers investigated whether COVID-19 and influenza have shared genetic etiology.
First, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of influenza was performed on data from more than 296,000 AncestryDNA COVID-19 study participants to explore how the same genetic factors influence the risk of influenza and COVID-19. Of these, 6.2% reported having been influenza-positive and were classified cases.
The remainder of the population served as controls, including approximately 24,000 with negative results. Next, the team assessed associations between 10 million common variants and reported influenza infection in three ancestral groups. A meta-analysis of the results across ancestries identified two loci associated with reported influe.