Some people may be naturally protected by their genetic heritage, according to researchers who published their findings in the prestigious journal “Nature.”
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Many French people have caught Covid again in recent weeks, due to the rebound of the epidemic in the spring. But some people have escaped the virus since the beginning of the disease’s appearance: they are called “Novid”. A study published in the scientific journal Naturein mid-June, put forward hypotheses to explain this phenomenon. Among them: these “Novid” would be protected thanks to their genetic heritage.
These lucky ones, who survive all the waves of Covid, are estimated at 5 to 10% of the British population, according to the British health agency’s accounts. In this new study from the journal Naturethe researchers infected 36 young adult volunteers who had never been vaccinated or infected. Out of a sample of 16 guinea pigs, six tested positive with symptoms, three without symptoms, and the other seven tested negative.
Scientists screened 600,000 cells and found that two phenomena appear to have protected these “Novids”. First, they identified an immune response located in the nasal mucosa, but also a strong activity of a gene, HLA-DQA2. This discovery will make it possible to develop new treatments against Covid.
