Covid Patients’ Genomes to Be Analyzed in U.K. Severity Study

Thousands of U.K. coronavirus patients will have their genomes sequenced as part of a scientific push to determine who’s most vulnerable to the virus’s deadliest symptoms and why.

DNA from some 35,000 patients ranging from mild cases to those needing intensive care will be deciphered and compared as part of the study, according to a statement. The research will be led by the National Health Service, Genomics England, equipment maker Illumina Inc. and the GenOMICC consortium, a group of doctors and scientists studying genetic aspects of critical illnesses.