New results suggest that people with specific gene versions are less likely to get severe COVID-19. Earlier research has identified a specific group of genes, known as the OAS1/2/3 gene cluster, associated with the risk of severe COVID-19.

A version of the gene in the cluster — passed down from Neanderthals — appears to protect against severe disease, reducing the risk by about 23 percent. Previous studies have mostly been conducted on people of European ancestry. According to a report published in Nature Genetics, researchers have now found the same association of this genetic variant with milder COVID-19 in people of African ancestry.

“The fact that people of African descent have the same protection allows us to identify the only variant in DNA that actually protects against COVID19 infection,” co-author Dr. Jennifer Huffman said in a statement.

The OAS gene is involved in a series of actions that help cells fight viruses, the researchers said. Understanding these genes and their impact on COVID19 risk could help develop future drugs, they added.

Moderna has fewer breakthroughs than Pfizer/BioNTech

When the delta variant coronavirus spreads widely in the United States, recipients of two doses of Moderna’s mRNA vaccine (MRNA.O) were less likely to develop a breakthrough infection than recipients of Pfizer’s two-dose mRNA vaccine were hospitalized. and BioNTech, found a large study.

The researchers analyzed the medical records of more than 637,000 vaccine recipients who had not previously been infected with the virus or received a booster shot.

Late infections increased steadily each month from July 2021 to November 2021, with the Pfizer/BioNTech group seeing higher rates, as JAMA reported Thursday.

In November, the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was 2.8 cases per 1,000 people, while the Moderna vaccine was 1.6 cases per 1,000 people.