Absence of natural killer cell receptor associated with severe Covid-19

(Medical University of Vienna) The course and severity of COVID-19 in individual patients is largely influenced by the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and the human immune system. The NKG2C receptor communicates with an infected cell via one of its specialised surface structures, HLA-E, which results in the destruction of virus-infected cells. However, due to a genetic variation, approximately 4% of the population naturally lack the this receptor NKG2C, and in 30% of the populatio...