Mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19: an update

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to pose a major public health threat especially in countries with low vaccination rates. To better understand the biological underpinnings of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity we formed the COVID19 Host Genetics Initiative. Here we present GWAS meta-analysis of up to 125,584 cases and over 2.5 million controls across 60 studies from 25 countries, adding 11 new genome-wide significant loci compared to those previously identified. Genes in novel loci include SFTPD, MUC5B and ACE2, reveal compelling insights regarding disease susceptibility and severity.