COVID-19 affects people differently. This is why understanding the disease has become one of the biggest mysteries of modern science. For example, why do some people fall ill from COVID-19, while others infected with the virus experience mild to no symptoms? Why do some people deal with the symptoms long after they recover from the infection, while others recover completely within a short period? Why does the virus attack the respiratory systems of some infected people, while others develop cardiovascular, neurological, or gastrointestinal symptoms? This spectrum of symptoms has confused and baffled scientists all around the world. While not discounting individual behaviors or preexisting conditions, doctors and scientists believe that the secret to how COVID-19 affects people may lie in their individual genetic composition.
According to Ting Wu, Professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School, “We have the opportunity to see if there are gene variants that distinguish people who are more susceptible to the virus from those who are more resistant”.
The spectrum of symptoms makes it exceedingly difficult to diagnose COVID-19 without proper and accurate testing. However, doctors and scientists around the world have teamed up, working day and night to understand the disease with the hope of finding better treatments, a cure, or a vaccine.
Because there are no symptoms that are exclusive to COVID-19, doctors and scientists believe that many people may have unknowingly been infected with COVID-19. We bring you this insightful article to find out whether you have already had the coronavirus without even knowing it.