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ARCHIVED - Andalusian scientists study predisposition to severe forms of Covid-19
Sixteen hospitals and three research centres are involved in the PREMED Covid-19 project, which studies genomic data and virus sequencing for each infected patient.
A group of scientists in Andalusia has contributed to identifying biomarkers that predispose certain patients to develop severe forms of coronavirus by analysing patients’ genetic profiles.
Covid-19 is a very variable virus, while some have no symptoms at all or they are mild and short-lasting, others suffer severe cases which can last for months on end and even kill them. Therefore, it is vitally important to identify which patients are most at risk to manage the disease and reduce the burden on healthcare systems.
With this in mind, a workgroup was formed in Andalusia in September 2020 that has been collaborating with other European researchers, laying the groundwork to investigate the influence of genetic factors on the risk of severe cases of the virus.
The group has been involved in various international initiatives aimed to generate knowledge in this area, such as the COVID Host Genetics Initiative, which brought together data from 46 studies in 19 countries and analysed more than 50,000 patients to identify 15 genetic modifications associated with virus progression.
The PREMED Covid19 project has been launched to continue these studies, with 16 Andalusian hospitals and 3 research centres with genome sequencing facilities taking part. The project aims to include patient data related to virus sequencing and genetic markers in databases to increase scientific knowledge.
The results of projects like this will allow healthcare to integrate personalized medicine, meaning preventive and therapeutic strategies can be adapted to individual profiles to improve outbreak detection or define transmission patterns.
Moreover, sequencing the SARS-CoV2 genome together with evaluation of patient-specific genetic variants will help doctors determine the best ways to combat the disease.