A lot of people I know are convinced that they may have already had COVID-19 when a nasty bug was making the rounds in December and January. Or they are equally convinced that considering their age and good health that they would probably be able to survive a bout with this horrible virus were they to encounter it.
Of course, having said that, these same people sure would like to have the piece of mind that would come along with knowing for sure whether they had it or not and whether or not they would be at risk of suffering from it were they to cross paths with it.
In theory, antibody tests could help with the first part, letting us know whether we really did have it or not and therefore whether we should take extra precautions or not. But what about finding out how big of an impact it might have on us if we had yet to face it? Well, that’s another story. One that we may be a step closer to writing thanks to the recent development of a genetic test that can tell us how our DNA stacks up against the competition.
As Futurism puts it, “You know that file you got from Ancestry or 23andMe that contains a digital copy of your entire genetic code? Imagine that you upload it to a site, and five minutes later it spits out a report. Bad news — it says your risk from the coronavirus is a glaring red ‘HIGHER,’ meaning that according to a potpourri of genetic markers, you’re more likely to have a severe, potentially deadly case of COVID-19.
That’s the idea behind a free genetic analysis offered by Sequencing.com, a genetic testing company that’s offering personalized, DNA-based coronavirus warnings.”
Armed with this information people could then make informed decisions about whether it’s safe for them to return to work, visit with friends, or travel once restrictions are lifted and things return to normal. Of course there’s no guarantee that genetic markers would really even indicate how much risk you have in of themselves. There could other factors at play such as the quantity of viral material that you get exposed to and for how long and what particular strain you encounter as well as any other pre-existing conditions you may have or the overall condition of your health. But at the same time it’s another piece of the puzzle. Information that may be helpful. Or at least good to know.
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