Mutation in TLR7 increases risk of severe COVID-19

Rare gene mutations can significantly increase the risk of severe COVID-19 disease. An international research team with significant contribution from the University of Bonn compared the genetic material of 5,085 people with severe COVID-19 and more than 570,000 controls. The results showed that alterations in the gene TLR7, which is important for the immune defense in humans, lead to infections with a severe course. The findings have now been published in the journal PLOS Genetics.