COVID-19

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has resulted in enormous health and economic burden worldwide. Host genetics can contribute to susceptibility and response to viral infection and the identification of host- specific genetic factors can indicate biological mechanisms of therapeutic relevance and clarify causal relationships of modifiable environmental risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection and outcomes. As part of the COVID-19 Host Genetic Initiative, a global network of researchers investigating the human genetics of SARS- COV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity, I led the Mendelian randomization working group that aimed to identify causal modifiable risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection and outcomes. We first investigated the genetic correlations between a set of 38 disease, health and neuropsychiatric phenotypes as potential COVID-19 risk factors based on their putative relevance to the disease susceptibility, severity, or mortality with SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 hospitalization and COVID-19 critical illness. Genetic correlations were observed between BMI, smoking, risk tolerance, ADHD, coronary artery disease diabetes, ischemic stroke and lupus and COVID-19 outcomes. Using Mendelian randomization, it was found that BMI, smoking, height, and red blood cell count were robustly causally associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection or COVID-19 severity.

Selected Publications:

1. The COVID-19 Host Genetic Initiative. (2021). Mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19. Nature. 600,472-477. PubMed PMID: 34237774
2. Fadista, J. Kraven L, Karajalainen J, Andrews SJ, Geller F. (2021). Shared genetic etiology between idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and COVID-19 severity. Ebiomedicine 65, 103277. PubMed PMID: 33714028
3. The COVID-19 Host Genetic Initiative. (2022). A first update on mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19. Nature 608, E1–E10. PubMed PMID: 35922517