An international team of researchers from 16 countries has identified a genetic link between a specific gene variant and prolonged symptoms after COVID-19. The region of the genome is located near the FOXP4 gene, which affects lung function. This is reported by MedicalXpress with reference to the publication in the journal Nature Genetics .
What did the researchers find?
According to the study, carriers of a certain gene variant have about a 60% higher risk of developing long-term COVID-19. The most common symptoms are shortness of breath, chronic fatigue, and cognitive impairment, which can last for months after the illness.
“Our results suggest that impaired lung function plays a key role in the development of post-Covid syndrome,” explained study co-author Hugo Seeberg of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.
The analysis included more than 6,450 patients with symptoms of long-term COVID-19 and more than a million people in the control group. To confirm the findings, the scientists also conducted an independent re-study of another 9,500 cases.
Why is this necessary?
The head of the study, Hanna Ollila from the University of Helsinki, emphasized that genetics helps to gain a deeper understanding of diseases whose mechanisms are still poorly understood.
“These data may be key to future diagnostics, early detection, and individualized treatment of patients at risk of developing prolonged COVID-19,” she noted.
The study provides a new direction in the development of methods for treating post-Covid syndrome and once again proves that even after the end of the pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 remains a topic of scientific research and a pressing challenge for global medicine.
