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Some may have innate immunity to COVID-19 thanks to genetic makeup

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Scientists say some people with a specific DNA makeup are genetically resistant to the coronavirus.

A global group of researchers studied several different genes and the roles they play in people’s likelihood for infection. The group’s paper was published in the most recent issue of Nature Immunology. 

Scientists pioneering this research used lessons from the past to speculate why some are more susceptible than others. They based their conclusions on previous studies looking at viruses such as HIV and the norovirus, commonly known as the stomach flu. The two viruses are similar to COVID-19. People with certain genetic codes have less receptors that allow the viruses to bind to the nasal cavity, thus infecting people.

The research is still very new, the group says. But while the results of the study are still in question, the authors say their findings could lead to the development of new COVID-19 therapies and pave the way for novel drugs designed to block COVID-19.