Hugo Zeberg: How could Neanderthal genes affect COVID-19?

We talk to assistant professor Hugo Zeberg about his research into whether people with Neanderthal genes are more severely affected by COVID-19.

Jason Goodyer

Published: November 12, 2020 at 8:08 pm

In this week's episode of the Science Focus Podcast, we talk to Hugo Zeberg, a geneticist working at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

Hugo has just published a paper that suggests those of us with a certain set of genes inherited from Neanderthals may suffer from more severe effects of COVID-19.

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Commissioning editor, BBC Science Focus

Jason is the commissioning editor for BBC Science Focus. He holds an MSc in physics and was named Section Editor of the Year by the British Society of Magazine Editors in 2019. He has been reporting on science and technology for more than a decade. During this time, he's walked the tunnels of the Large Hadron Collider, watched Stephen Hawking deliver his Reith Lecture on Black Holes and reported on everything from simulation universes to dancing cockatoos. He looks after the magazine’s and website’s news sections and makes regular appearances on the Instant Genius Podcast.

Hugo Zeberg: How could Neanderthal genes affect COVID-19? © Getty Images

© Getty Images