Tuesday August 9, 2022 – Author:
ham
Some people just don’t catch the coronavirus. Are they just lucky or is there actually something like corona resistance? Genetic researchers are now convinced that there are probably innate protective mechanisms against the corona virus.
Fats everyone knows someone who, despite all carelessness, got through the pandemic without a corona infection. These lucky exceptions are often not vaccinated either. Researchers now believe that there is actually something like corona resistance. In an international genetic research project, the thesis is now being tested at around 150 institutes. People are examined who simply did not become infected despite high virus exposure, for example if they lived in sick families. There is already a name for them: Novids.
Gene variants could accidentally protect against Covid
“We are trying to understand whether there are genetic traits that protect certain people from COvid-19 infection,” spokesman for the genetic research project András Spaan told the online magazine Healthline. The genetics and infectious diseases expert at Rockefeller University in New York City thinks it’s likely. SARS-VOV-2 is new, but not the fundamental fight against pathogens. In the course of evolution, gene variants could have arisen in individual people that happened to protect against corona, according to his thesis.
Through template for new drugs
Such a genetic protection program is also known for other infectious diseases. An example is HIV. Individuals who have a specific mutation in People CCR5 are immune to the AIDS virus. “Once it was deciphered which biological pathways are influenced by the CCR5 gene variant, a drug against AIDS could be developed,” Spaan is quoted in “WELT”. “Of course it would be great if we could do something similar with Covid-19.”
More than one cause likely
However, the genetic researcher considers it unlikely that immunity to SARS-COV-2 can be attributed to just one cause. It may be the case, for example, that some people have fewer binding receptors on their mucous membrane cells and are therefore unable to attach the virus. An earlier contact with is also discussed others Coronavirs, which offers a certain basic protection. Likewise, a particularly fast immune system that destroys the virus before it can multiply.
But finding out what is coincidence and what actually causes the apparent corona resistance is not trivial. The inclusion criteria in the study are therefore strict. Among other things, the test persons must be negative in the antibody test and have been exposed to an extremely high risk of infection – without contracting Covid-19.