Genetic Correlations between COVID-19 and a Variety of Traits and Diseases

Flowchart of data preparation and analysis for COVID-19 and tested traits/diseases in this study

The ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has posed an extraordinary threat to global public health. Patients with certain underlying medical conditions, such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are at increased risk for poor outcome in COVID-19.1 Given the high genetic heritability of the aforementioned conditions, their shared genetic factors may play a crucial role in the severity of COVID-19. Indeed, a recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) of COVID-19 has reported two genomic loci associated with severe COVID-19, indicating a strong genetic influence on the severity of COVID-19.