March 7, 2022

Genetic study looking at predisposition for COVID-19 critical illness

Researchers from the GenOMICC consortium have done a study in which they compared whole genome sequences of around 7,000 patients who became critically ill with COVID-19 with those of around 48,000 matched control individuals, in order to investigate whether they could identify specific genetic patterns in people that were associated with developing severe COVID-19.

The scientists  published this study in Nature.

Journalists dialled in to hear from the scientists leading this work about their results and what new insights the data might give into the disease processes, and to ask their questions.

Speakers included:

Prof Kenneth Baillie, Chief Investigator, and Consultant in Critical Care Medicine at the University of Edinburgh

Dr Erola Pairo-Castineira, Research Fellow, University of Edinburgh

Prof Sir Mark Caulfield, Vice-Principal for Health for the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, and former Chief Scientist at Genomics England

Dr Richard Scott, Chief Medical Officer, Genomics England

Dr Athanasios Kousathanas, Principal Genomics Data Scientist, Genomics England

This Briefing was accompanied by an SMC Roundup of comments