Scientists are circling in on a particular gene variant, and if people have two copies of that variant, then they are eight times more likely to avoid Covid symptoms than those without a double, says Petousis-Harris.
Those particular molecules have shown an increased effectiveness in taking a seasonal coronavirus and putting up a quick defence against viruses with a similar makeup, she says.
Diversity of genes, like having parents from different regions of the world, can also boost your immune response in general.
“We also know at the other extreme end, when you get a lot of, you know, very small communities inbreeding, I think the people tend to not be as strong as those who live in normal, larger communities and aren't as closely related to each other.”
Scientists are also looking at the noses of Novids and their basal immune tone, “so basically the level of immune activation you have in your nasal passage,” says Dr Kerry Hilligan, a cellular immunologist at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research in Wellington.
