Long-COVID - all a question of genes?

New study results show possible risk factor

01-Aug-2023 - Germany

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Long-COVID once again raises eyebrows. Some factors that increase the risk of developing the long-term consequences of corona infection are known. Now, the results of a new study suggest that one risk factor may even be in our genes: a gene called FOXP4 may be linked to Long-Covid.

Finally, most of us can enjoy summer again without Corona anxiety. The peace of mind seems deceptive, however, if a recent statement from the World Health Organization (WHO) is to be believed. The effects of long-COVID, signs of illness very long after the acute phase of corona infection, are ringing alarm bells. Nearly 36 million people across Europe were affected by long-COVID in the three pandemic years and therefore have or had to deal with the late effects of COVID-19 infection. In fact, Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director, predicts that we will never truly recover from the pandemic until comprehensive diagnostic and treatment options for long-COVID are available. Accordingly, WHO strongly warns that there is a blind spot in our knowledge regarding Long-COVID. That blind spot may now have shrunk a bit. A study of several thousand people yields evidence that variants of a gene called FOXP4 may be linked to increased long-COVID risk.

But should news of a "long-covid gene" worry us? Quite the opposite, notes Professor Jörn Bullerdiek, director of the Institute of Medical Genetics at Rostock University Medical Center and board member of the Long Covid Physicians Association (ÄLC). "FOXP4 is the name of the gene in question, and we all have it. It now appears that a variant in the region of this gene is clustered in Long Covid sufferers. Accordingly, not all people who have this variant will get long-COVID after an acute corona infection. And conversely, you can get long-COVID even if you don't have the variant." Still, the study's findings will have a major impact on better understanding developmental mechanisms of long-COVID, Bullerdiek predicts.

For Professor Martin Walter, Director of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at Jena University Hospital and President of the ÄLC, the study impressively demonstrates the importance of research in this field: "We were therefore very pleased with the announcement by the Federal Minister of Health to provide 41 million euros for research. In addition to the causes and treatment approaches, however, the current clinical situation must also be researched and improved across the board as quickly as possible. Close exchange between those affected, specialist disciplines and representatives of the care systems, such as will also take place at the 2nd Long-COVID Congress in Jena on 24 and 25 November 2023, is therefore of great importance."

Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.