Scientists have discovered a gene variant, HLA-B*15:01, linked to asymptomatic COVID-19 cases, opening potential avenues for new treatments and vaccines.
People who contract COVID-19 but never develop symptoms – the so-called super dodgers – may have a genetic ace up their sleeve. They’re more than twice as likely as those who become symptomatic to carry a specific gene variation that helps them obliterate the virus, according to a new study led by UC San Francisco researchers.
The paper, published recently in the journal Nature, offers the first evidence that there is a genetic basis for asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2. The research helps to solve the mystery of why some people can be infected without ever getting sick from COVID-19.