A gene passed down from Neanderthal ancestors could play a part in how their descendants respond to Covid-19, a study published on Tuesday found.
The gene variant that increases the risk of becoming seriously ill with Covid also reduces the risk of contracting HIV by 27 per cent, researchers in Germany and Sweden found.
During the coronavirus pandemic, people from South Asia were found to have been at greater risk of catching the virus than other groups.
The mutated genes inherited from Neanderthals doubled the risk of severe Covid-19, Dr Hugo Zeberg, of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany, found.
About 50 per cent of South Asians carry the mutation compared to one-fifth of Europeans.
“This major genetic risk factor for Covid-19 is so common that I started wondering whether it might actually be good for something, such as providing protection against another infectious disease”, Dr Zeberg said.
“We don't know at the moment why it was likely advantageous 10,000 years ago. There are many genes involved in the immune system in this region of the genome, so there are many plausible candidate genes.
“If I were to guess, smallpox would be a good candidate. It also enters cells using chemokine receptors. But at this point, this is just speculation.”
In the spring 2021, the team found the frequency of the Neanderthal variant had increased significantly since the last ice age, and it had become an unexpectedly common.
That hints that it may have a benefit, which inspired the team to continue research.
By analysing patient data, they found that carriers of the risk variant for Covid had a 27 per cent lower risk of contracting HIV.
“This shows how a genetic variant can be both good and bad news: Bad news if a person contracts Covid-19, good news because it offers protection against getting infected with HIV”, Dr Zeberg said.
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RACE CARD
6.30pm Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,200
7.05pm Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
7.40pm Maiden Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
8.15pm Handicap Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 1,400m
9.25pm Handicap Dh175,000 (D) 2,000m
The National selections:
6.30pm Underwriter
7.05pm Rayig
7.40pm Torno Subito
8.15pm Talento Puma
8.50pm Etisalat
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ODI FIXTURE SCHEDULE
First ODI, October 22
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Second ODI, October 25
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune
Third ODI, October 29
Venue TBC
Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 0
Manchester City 2
Bernardo Silva 54', Sane 66'
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GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
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Arabian Gulf League fixtures:
Friday:
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Saturday:
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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Sreesanth's India bowling career
Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40
ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55
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The Uefa Awards winners
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Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
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Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
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The biog
Name: Atheja Ali Busaibah
Date of birth: 15 November, 1951
Favourite books: Ihsan Abdel Quddous books, such as “The Sun will Never Set”
Hobbies: Reading and writing poetry
Scoreline:
Everton 4
Richarlison 13'), Sigurdsson 28', Digne 56', Walcott 64'
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton)
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Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – UAE won by 36 runs
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
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Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
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MATCH INFO
Liverpool 2 (Van Dijk 18', 24')
Brighton 1 (Dunk 79')
Red card: Alisson (Liverpool)
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Company name: Nybl
Date started: November 2018
Founder: Noor Alnahhas, Michael LeTan, Hafsa Yazdni, Sufyaan Abdul Haseeb, Waleed Rifaat, Mohammed Shono
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Software Technology / Artificial Intelligence
Initial investment: $500,000
Funding round: Series B (raising $5m)
Partners/Incubators: Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 4, Dubai Future Accelerators Cohort 6, AI Venture Labs Cohort 1, Microsoft Scale-up
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- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
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- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
