AUTHOR=Wendt Frank R , De Lillo Antonella , Pathak Gita A , De Angelis Flavio ,  COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative , Polimanti Renato 

TITLE=Host Genetic Liability for Severe COVID-19 Associates with Alcohol Drinking Behavior and Diabetic Outcomes in Participants of European Descent

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Genetics

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2021.765247

DOI=10.3389/fgene.2021.765247

ISSN=1664-8021

ABSTRACT=<p>Risk factors and long-term consequences of COVID-19 infection are unclear but can be investigated with large-scale genomic data. To distinguish correlation from causation, we performed <italic>in-silico</italic> analyses of three COVID-19 outcomes (N &gt; 1,000,000). We show genetic correlation and putative causality with depressive symptoms, metformin use (genetic causality proportion (gĉp) with severe respiratory COVID-19 = 0.576, <italic>p</italic> = 1.07 × 10<sup>−5</sup> and hospitalized <italic>COVID-19</italic> = 0.713, <italic>p</italic> = 0.003), and alcohol drinking status (gĉp with severe respiratory <italic>COVID-19</italic> = 0.633, <italic>p</italic> = 7.04 × 10<sup>−5</sup> and hospitalized COVID-19 = 0.848, <italic>p</italic> = 4.13 × 10<sup>−13</sup>). COVID-19 risk loci associated with several hematologic biomarkers. Comprehensive findings inform genetic contributions to COVID-19 epidemiology, molecular mechanisms, and risk factors and potential long-term health effects of severe response to infection.</p>