In his Director's Blog on June 18, Dr. Francis Collins, NIH Director, discusses a new study that suggests, in part, that the severity in which COVID-19 affects a person may be determined by genes and blood type.  He admits that while more research is necessary, the results preprinted in medRxiv on June 2, 2020 find gene variants in two regions of the human genome are associated with severe COVID-19, therefore causing a greater risk for death.  This study is the first  to identify a genetic propensity for severe COVID-19 and was conducted using almost 2,000 people undergoing treatment for severe cases and respiratory failure at seven medical centers in Italy and Spain.

Catch up on this and other advances on Dr. Collins' blog.