The MRC Human Genetics Unit at Edinburgh University are looking for volunteers to help with their new Coronagenes study, an international volunteer project to help understand the genetics of susceptibility to and symptoms of the Coronavirus: why some people get sick and others don’t.
Volunteers only have to complete an online questionnaire, which takes about 30 minutes to complete, and if they are showing symptoms – a daily update.
People who have had and who have not had symptoms are all welcome to sign up to the study. They are particularly interested in people with direct-to-consumer genotypes and will ask them to upload their raw data to allow faster analysis. Read on for further information.
Those without raw DNA data may be sent a spit kit for saliva sampling later.
HAVE YOU ALREADY HAD A HEALTH OR ANCESTRY DNA TEST? IF SO YOU COULD HELP IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is affecting our lives in many ways. Our study aims to use genetics to understand the symptoms and severity of COVID-19 – Prof Jim Wilson
The chances of getting most illnesses, such as flu or measles, are affected by your environment and genes. The same can be said of coronavirus (COVID-19). Environmental influences include smoking and other lifestyle factors. Genetic influences are passed through the family and are ‘written’ in your DNA.
We aim to discover why some people might get sick from COVID-19 whilst others don’t . We also hope to find any genes influencing the severity or duration of disease. People who have not contracted the disease or had symptoms are just as important to the study as people who have.
EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY’S CORONAGENES TEAM
You can read more about the study or sign up here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/coronaGenes/
If you have already tested via direct-to-consumer products, e.g. with companies such as 23andMe or Family Tree DNA, please see the link below. All you have to do is visit the company website that has your data and follow the download procedures. They have download instructions for the four largest Genetic testing providers below.
The upload system is simple. Navigate to our dashboard, choose the file you have downloaded from the company and upload it. This process is the same for DNA data that comes from any company. For full instructions click the link below.
https://www.ed.ac.uk/files/atoms/files/2020-06-03_DNA_data_upload_instructions.docx
Please note: They will not be providing any return of personal Genetic results. However, we will share combined results from the study through this website, social media and in our newsletters.
These instructions have been adapted from guides available at DNA eXplained, created by Roberta Estes. Click below to visit her site.
CoronaGenes on social media:
https://www.facebook.com/coronaGenes