Study: Genetic mutation inherited from Neanderthals could help protect against severe COVID cases

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Researchers have discovered a possible genetic link between Neanderthal DNA and a lower risk of developing a severe case of the coronavirus.
A new study, conducted by Hugo Zeberg and Svante Pääbo at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany, followed up on recent research that suggested Neanderthal DNA was actually linked to higher risk of severe illness.
They found that a certain haplogroup, a population that shares common DNA, was roughly 22 percent less likely to develop a severe case of COVID-19. The common DNA is believed to have been inherited from Neanderthals.
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The haplogroup is common in populations outside of Africa, the study notes, as Neanderthal evolved off the continent.

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