There is no Yang now, what's going on? Maybe there really is a "chosen one"!

On December 30, the Sichuan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention stated that after comprehensive analysis, it was believed that the overall infection rate of residents in the province had exceeded 80%. On the same day, the Hainan Provincial Epidemic News Conference reported that the province's new crown infection rate was expected to exceed 50%.

Although there is no exact ratio data, those who have not yet had sexual intercourse are already a minority.

The online version of "The Chosen One", image source: Internet

So here comes the question:

What secrets are hidden by those who have not yet had sexual intercourse? Are they the chosen ones?

This is indeed possible.

01

Some people really win by genes.

The human body mainly relies on the immune system to fight viruses, but each person's immune system is slightly different. This difference is not the "high or low immunity" that people often talk about, but the proficiency in different "antivirus projects", which is determined by genes.

In simple terms, everyone's immune system has different detection and response capabilities to the new coronavirus , which is an innate trait.

For example, researchers have found that different types of white blood cell surface antigens (HLA) have different abilities to bind to viruses. Some can quickly identify and eliminate viruses, leaving no chance for the virus; others do not bind well to viruses and are more likely to let them go, giving them a chance to replicate and infect the body.

Therefore, the multiple alleles that determine human leukocyte surface antigen (HLA) are very critical.

There is preliminary evidence from both clinical studies and simulation calculations that there are indeed some specific genotypes in the population that make us different when facing the new coronavirus.

In simple terms, we can divide them into three groups based on their genes :

A group of people have "lucky" genes that make them less susceptible to the new coronavirus;

One group of people have "unlucky" genes that make them more susceptible to infection and more likely to develop severe illness;

The vast majority of people have neither the "lucky" nor the "unlucky" genes.

One of the representative genes of the "lucky guy" gene is the HLA-DQB1*06 allele.

A study covering 1,076 COVID-19 vaccine recipients at the University of Oxford in the UK showed that during the epidemic of the original and alpha variants of the COVID-19, people carrying this gene had a 63% chance of infection compared to non-carriers.

The above research results published in the journal Nature show that HLA genotype is related to the antibody response to the new crown vaccine and the risk of breakthrough infection.

Another important gene is HLA-B*15:03, which is carried by only 0.63% of the lucky people in the world. It has strong resistance to the new coronavirus and several other coronaviruses. The proportion of people with this genotype in China ranks in the middle of the world.

The other two lucky genes with similar effects are not distributed widely in the population, one is 1.1% and the other is 0.49%, both of which are rare.

In contrast, there are "big enemy" genes that are more susceptible to infection and more likely to develop severe illness.

The representative gene is HLA-B*46:01, which accounts for about 6.1% of the world's population and about 10% to 15% in China. There are two other genes that are relatively susceptible to COVID-19, which are more common in West Asia, Africa, and Oceania.

In addition to the "lucky guy" and "bad guy" genes, the related regulation of white blood cells, type I interferon, memory T cells, etc. may also affect the susceptibility to the new coronavirus.

In addition, the new coronavirus needs to bind to the ACE2 receptor of the cell in order to invade the human body. If it mutates or is present in small numbers, it will increase the difficulty for the virus to enter.

In short, the human body has a complex physiological mechanism to deal with the new coronavirus, and there are indeed some chosen ones who are less likely to be infected. However, it should be noted that there are many factors that can affect the process of virus infection in the human body, and genetic factors are only one of them . Vaccines and good hygiene habits can give us more reliable protection.

The genes related to COVID-19 infection mentioned above have not yet been found by geneticists, and further research is needed to uncover more truths. Through these studies, scientists can gain a deeper understanding of the COVID-19 infection process, which will provide inspiration for the development of more effective vaccines and drugs in the future, so that people with "common genotypes" can also develop stronger immune protection, less infection, and milder symptoms.

02

Lucky or not

Good protection can reduce the risk

The conclusion of the above research only says that some people are relatively less likely to be infected with the new coronavirus. It does not mean that they will not be infected at all, nor does it mean that they have additional protection against all mutant strains .

Friends who are not yet yang usually have protection and good luck.

The new coronavirus is mainly transmitted through droplets and contact, and the most common parts of the human body that it "invades" are the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, eyes, etc.

Proper protection can reduce the possibility of virus contact with mucous membranes to a certain extent.

Many people have shared their experiences of never being infected. In summary, the formula for never being infected is basically = strict protection + cleaning and disinfection + vaccination + balanced diet + exercise and rest.

Image source: ONWA

Of course, personal experience cannot prove causality, and many people who are on high alert also fall victim to the virus.

But just like playing games and fighting bosses, whether you are a novice player or an expert, it is always better to have more complete equipment.

It’s better to avoid getting sick if possible.

By the way, for those of you who think you are still in the "final round", there is actually another situation: some of them are asymptomatic infected people who "sneaked in", but they can also be considered "lucky people" to some extent.

Forward this to the "chosen one" around you!

Author: Xiang Dongliang

Review | Jin Dong, Associate Researcher, Institute of Infectious Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Source: Dingxiang Doctor

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