Risk Factors
This preprint says that having a bad mutation on the (X-linked) TLR7 gene is very very bad for your COVID-19 prospects. The authors think this accounts for about 1.8% of severe COVID-19 in male patients under 60.
But here’s some good news on genes: this preprint says that a change in one nucleotide (sort of like one letter in the DNA) at the gene OAS1 significantly helps defeat COVID-19 infections. Buuuttt this preprint says that if you have a different version of the OAS1 gene, that’s really bad both for COVID-19 and Alzheimer’s.
I am not an expert, but it seems to me that knowing the genes which help and hurt ought to help us humans come up with therapies.
Side Effects
This preprint says — surprise surprise — that the pandemic has been bad for mental health, especially women and younger people.
Non-COVID
Can I just mention the malaria vaccine again? Because that’s just incredibly good news.
Mitigation Measures
This article says that the Interior Health shut down one restaurant and Fraser Health fined a different one for not checking vax cards.