New research led by scientists at the University of Oxford has identified a gene that increases the risk of lung failure and death from COVID two-fold.

The researchers state that nearly 60% of people from South Asian backgrounds and 15% of people of European ancestry have the high-risk version of the gene.

The study provides some information on why certain communities in the UK and South Asia have a higher risk from COVID-19 but does not explain it completely. Researchers used a combination of artificial intelligence and new molecular technology to identify the exact gene, LZTFL1, which is accountable for the increased risk. It was estimated that the high-risk version of the gene is present in around 2% of people from African-Caribbean descent and 1.8% of people of East Asian ancestry. The study is published in Nature Genetics… (BBC, November 4, 2021)