Posted on 10/19/2021 12:05:08 PM PDT by Red Badger
Two humans are at least 99.9 percent genetically identical to each other. But it's that 0.1 percent or so that makes us special.
This is what determines all our differences, from the unique ways we look, to our resistance or susceptibility to diseases such as HIV. Certain tiny tweaks in the genetic code can be incredibly helpful not only for the individual, but society.
The more we know about these special genes (and the people who have them) the better, as it might be possible to create drugs that can mimic useful genetic differences.
With that in mind, researchers are searching for people around the world who might be resistant to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Your genes could hold the keys to potentially treating COVID-19.
"The introduction of SARS-CoV-2 to a naive population, on a global scale, has provided yet another demonstration of the remarkable clinical variability between individuals in the course of infection, ranging from asymptomatic infections to life-threatening disease," a team of researchers, led by immunologist Evangelos Andreakos from the Academy of Athens, writes in a new paper.
"Our understanding of the pathophysiology of life-threatening COVID-19 has progressed considerably since the disease was first described in December 2019, but we still know very little about the human genetic and immunological basis of inborn resistance to SARS-CoV-2."
Although we might not have much information about this inborn resistance, it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The researchers note that sometimes whole households can be infected, with just a spouse being spared, while there's been other reports of people somehow avoiding COVID even after being in the 'line of fire' multiple times.
There's also been some serious research into this already, but so far, the results have only revealed small differences.
For example, we reported last year that blood type (particularly type O blood) seemed to show a slight resistance to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. Then there's been other studies looking at proteins such as the ACE2 receptor or TMEM41B that the coronavirus seems to require to either enter or replicate once inside the cell.
The researchers have suggested that we need to be doing more to uncover those secret few in the population who might be genetically resistant to SARS-CoV-2. And they have some ideas about how.
"We propose a strategy for identifying, recruiting, and genetically analyzing individuals who are naturally resistant to SARS-CoV-2 infection," the team writes.
"We first focus on uninfected household contacts of people with symptomatic COVID-19. We then consider individuals exposed to an index case without personal protection equipment, for at least 1 hour per day, and during the first 3-5 days of symptoms in the index case."
This would then be checked with negative PCR tests and negative blood work four weeks after the exposure, particularly looking for T cells to confirm that the person hasn't been infected in the past.
If this sounds like you – good news! The researchers are still looking for participants for their research.
"We have already enrolled more than 400 individuals meeting the criteria for inclusion in a dedicated resistance study cohort," the researchers wrote.
"The collaborative enrolment of study participants is continuing (link here), and subjects from all over the world are welcome."
With vaccines, promising drugs, and more understanding about the virus, we're seeing life – in some places – start to look a bit more normal.
But COVID will likely be with us for a long time yet to come, and finding people who have some genetic way of being spared by the virus could be a real boon for the rest of us – especially if new, highly virulent strains emerge.
This perspective was published in Nature Immunology.
I identify as someone who is genetically resistant to COVID.
Follow the science, right trannies?
There may be people who are genetically resistant to liberal BS too. Thank the Lord!
Of course there are. They account for the hundreds of millions of asymptomatic cases.
Are there people genetically resistant to the political pandemic and the resulting totalitarian state?
I think I’m one of them.
I’m in that haplo group!................
aka...natural immunity. Gee...Why didn’t we think of that?
Indeed!
What Woke does to comedy:
“Bring out your jokes!” *clang*
“Bring out your jokes!” *clang*
What about the people who had Hong Kong Flu back in 1968/9 ???
I think that was just plain seasonal flu that was extraordinarily strong and virulent...............
Interesting thought. Too bad George Floyd is not here to provide his commentary.
Add this to the “natural immunity” that is acquired by having the disease and recovering, with the antibodies then circulating in the blood serum.
To every disease that humans become subject to, there is almost certainly a mutant few that can and have shown resistance to either acquiring the disease, or the immune system throws it off with a minimum of tweaking. This capability is not the same for all people, and no one person is resistant to everything. But almost everybody is resistant to some pathogen.
What I have been saying all the time.
Sure there are people who are “genetically resistant but that is because there is no COVID 19, just bogus PCR and antibody tests. Without the tests the epidemic would vanish and be considered just this years version of Influenza A.
I'm really surprised to see them propping up this old lie. Fauci and the CDC knowingly lied when they stated and restated that Covid was a 'novel' virus, which would mean no one had ever had it before. Over and over they lied when they knew it wasn't novel.
Many people had some or complete immunity to Covid and that wouldn't happen if Covid was 'novel' or 'inroduced to a naive population'. The world knows this now, why are they still churning the lies?
A researcher tested people who had SARS1 in 2003 with SARS1 again in 2021. Their immunity held up for 17 years and they immune to SARS1 still. They then tested those SARS1 patients with SARS2 (Covid). Those people were immune to it because the viruses were similar enough, after 17 years, to be recognized and defeated by trhe immune system.
Many people have already encountered similar coronaviruses to Covid and didn't become ill.
The whole 'novel' virus was a lie that they used to justify lockdowns and mandates, vaccines. That ship has sailed - we know it was a lie, and here they are pretending the science doesn't exist.
"The researchers note that sometimes whole households can be infected, with just a spouse being spared, while there's been other reports of people somehow avoiding COVID even after being in the 'line of fire' multiple times."
That's called immunity - and they are trying to lie their way out of their previous lie, so now it's some bizarre genetic anomalie? *smh*
What do these creeps want, our genetic material? Haven't we heard China has created a database by collecting American genetic material for years now?
""We propose a strategy for identifying, recruiting, and genetically analyzing individuals who are naturally resistant to SARS-CoV-2 infection," the team writes."
So our medical establishment goes full totalitarian and then expects us to trust them with our genetic samples? While lying and portraying immunity as 'magic genes'?
I’m in.
Not so sure that would be a good thing.
81% of them, according to the study of the Diamond Princess passengers and crew.
covid resistant?
I’m sure there’s a vaccine for that too.
Unless and until I get the disease, I will consider my self unvaccinated and uninfectable. I am my own superman.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.