The Dotonbori area of Osaka, Japan. Researchers say some East Asian populations may have traces of a type of coronavirus in their genetic make-up, but it is not thought to provide natural protection to today's novel coronavirus. Philip Fong / AFP
The Dotonbori area of Osaka, Japan. Researchers say some East Asian populations may have traces of a type of coronavirus in their genetic make-up, but it is not thought to provide natural protection to today's novel coronavirus. Philip Fong / AFP
The Dotonbori area of Osaka, Japan. Researchers say some East Asian populations may have traces of a type of coronavirus in their genetic make-up, but it is not thought to provide natural protection to today's novel coronavirus. Philip Fong / AFP
The Dotonbori area of Osaka, Japan. Researchers say some East Asian populations may have traces of a type of coronavirus in their genetic make-up, but it is not thought to provide natural protection t

Science

Evidence of exposure to coronaviruses in East Asia 25,000 years ago is found

The findings may offer indications as to how humans will be affected by disease in future

Daniel Bardsley
Daniel Bardsley

April 18, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

People in East Asia may have been exposed to coronaviruses as far back as 25,000 years ago and their descendants may carry genetic traces today, a study suggested.

Researchers said their findings do not imply that East Asians are now better protected against today's novel coronavirus, although genes do influence how an individual's body responds to viral infections.

For the study, genetic variation in 26 populations around the world were analysed, but the effects of coronavirus exposure was detected only in East Asians.

“An arms race with an ancient coronavirus, or with a different virus that happened to use similar interactions as coronaviruses with human hosts, may thus have taken place in ancestral East Asian populations,” the researchers wrote.

Importantly, adaptation to ancient viral epidemics does not necessarily imply any difference in genetic susceptibility between different human populations

Using publicly available genetics databases, the scientists analysed variation associated with genes coding for 420 virus-interacting proteins (VIPs), which are substances that may affect the way a person’s body reacts to an infection.

The proteins that were analysed were shown by earlier research to interact specifically with coronaviruses, leading researchers to name them CoV-VIPs.

Some may be involved in the immune response to infection, or they could be proteins used by viruses to hijack components of human cells after infection.

Only in the East Asian population did the researchers find patterns of genetic variation that suggested the CoV-VIPs had adapted to the presence of coronaviruses in the distant past.

The researchers think the effects began about 900 generations (or about 25,000 years) ago and lasted until about 200 generations (or 5,000 years) ago.

Young people wearing face masks ride bicycles at a park in Seoul. AP Photo
Young people wearing face masks ride bicycles at a park in Seoul. AP Photo
Pedestrians wearing protective masks walk through the street in the Jongno district of Seoul, South Korea. South Korea will impose a “special quarantine period” for two weeks from February 2 in the run-up to the Lunar New Year holidays to prevent another wave of infections. Bloomberg
Pedestrians wearing protective masks walk through the street in the Jongno district of Seoul, South Korea. South Korea will impose a “special quarantine period” for two weeks from February 2 in the run-up to the Lunar New Year holidays to prevent another wave of infections. Bloomberg
South Korean President Moon Jae-in holds a vaccine vial during a visit to a plant of South Korean bio firm SK Bioscience Co. in the southeastern city of Andong, South Korea. EPA
South Korean President Moon Jae-in holds a vaccine vial during a visit to a plant of South Korean bio firm SK Bioscience Co. in the southeastern city of Andong, South Korea. EPA
A woman wearing a face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus, walks in downtown Seoul, South Korea. AP Photo
A woman wearing a face mask as a precaution against the coronavirus, walks in downtown Seoul, South Korea. AP Photo
People wearing face masks wait for buses at a bus station in Goyang, South Korea. AP Photo
People wearing face masks wait for buses at a bus station in Goyang, South Korea. AP Photo
A healthcare worker standing inside a container collects a sample from a visitor at a temporary Covid-19 testing station outside Seoul City Hall in Seoul. Bloomberg
A healthcare worker standing inside a container collects a sample from a visitor at a temporary Covid-19 testing station outside Seoul City Hall in Seoul. Bloomberg
Pedestrians walk along a sidewalk in the Jongno district of Seoul. Bloomberg
Pedestrians walk along a sidewalk in the Jongno district of Seoul. Bloomberg
Medical workers in a booth wait for people to come for tests at a coronavirus testing site in Seoul. AP Photo
Medical workers in a booth wait for people to come for tests at a coronavirus testing site in Seoul. AP Photo
A South Korean official wearing a royal guard uniform and a face mask stands before the Royal Palace gates at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul. EPA
A South Korean official wearing a royal guard uniform and a face mask stands before the Royal Palace gates at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul. EPA
A lone woman takes the escalator down in Seoul. AP Photo
A lone woman takes the escalator down in Seoul. AP Photo
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks during a videoconference of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters about measures against the spread of the coronavirus. EPA
Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun speaks during a videoconference of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters about measures against the spread of the coronavirus. EPA
Students in protective gear get on a bus to head to a makeshift clinic at an alternative school in Gwangju, as around 200 students at the school come down with Covid19 while lodging together. EPA
Students in protective gear get on a bus to head to a makeshift clinic at an alternative school in Gwangju, as around 200 students at the school come down with Covid19 while lodging together. EPA
Pedestrians cross an intersection road near Seoul City Hall in Seoul. Bloomberg
Pedestrians cross an intersection road near Seoul City Hall in Seoul. Bloomberg

The findings could be of more than academic interest, as they may offer indications as to how humans will be affected by disease in future.

“By learning more about our ancient viral foes, our study highlights the promise of evolutionary information to better predict the pandemics of the future,” the researchers wrote.

The scientists, who are based at the University of Adelaide in Australia and the University of Arizona in the US, also said that identifying genetic differences between populations may help to develop drugs.

As the researchers noted, East Asia is where the current pandemic originated, yet the region has been notable for having been relatively less affected.

China, Japan and South Korea, which have a combined population of more than 1.5 billion, have suffered a total of about 16,000 deaths, according to official figures. Most other regions of the world have been much more heavily affected.

The researchers emphasised, though, that the results did not mean East Asians today have natural immunity to the coronavirus that causes Covid-19.

“Importantly, adaptation to ancient viral epidemics in specific human populations does not necessarily imply any difference in genetic susceptibility between different human populations, and the current evidence points toward an overwhelming impact of socioeconomic factors in the case of Covid-19,” they wrote.

Dr Andrew Freedman, specialist in infectious diseases at Cardiff University in Wales, who is not connected to the new study, said that an individual’s genetic make-up does, however, influence their response to viral infections.

For example, with HIV, the virus that causes Aids, a very small proportion of people are naturally better able to combat infection and can remain healthy for decades without treatment.

“That’s thought to be genetic – the genes control the immune response,” Dr Freedman said.

While he has not analysed the new study’s findings, Dr Freedman said that, because a person’s immune response is influenced by their genes, it was “certainly feasible” that particular populations were “better suited to combating Covid and other coronaviruses”.

The study was published online this year and presented this month at an annual meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists.

It was released before being reviewed by other scientists, so its findings are considered preliminary.

While you're here
Mountain%20Boy
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zainab%20Shaheen%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Naser%20Al%20Messabi%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Five expert hiking tips
    Always check the weather forecast before setting off Make sure you have plenty of water Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon Wear appropriate clothing and footwear Take your litter home with you
Points Classification

1. Marcel Kittel (Germany / Quick-Step) 63

2. Arnaud Demare (France / FDJ) 38

3. Andre Greipel (Germany / Lotto) 25

4. Sonny Colbrelli (Italy / Bahrain) 24

5. Mark Cavendish (Britain / Dimension Data) 22

6. Taylor Phinney (U.S. / Cannondale) 21

7. Geraint Thomas (Britain / Team Sky) 20

8. Thomas Boudat (France / Direct Energie) 20

9. Stefan Kueng (Switzerland / BMC Racing) 17

10. Michael Matthews (Australia / Sunweb) 17

ABU DHABI ORDER OF PLAY

Starting at 10am:

Daria Kasatkina v Qiang Wang

Veronika Kudermetova v Annet Kontaveit (10)

Maria Sakkari (9) v Anastasia Potapova

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova v Ons Jabeur (15)

Donna Vekic (16) v Bernarda Pera 

Ekaterina Alexandrova v Zarina Diyas

Results

Stage three:

1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-43

2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s

3. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s

4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s

5. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s

6. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN) UAE-Team Emirates, at 24s

General Classification:

1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-13-02

2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s

3. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin Fenix, at 12s

4. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s

5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s

6. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s

Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Pension support
  • Mental well-being assistance
  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 
DAY%20ONE%20RESULT
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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

UFC Fight Night 2

1am – Early prelims

2am – Prelims

4am-7am – Main card

7:30am-9am – press cons

The Breadwinner

Director: Nora Twomey

Starring: Saara Chaudry,  Soma Chhaya,  Laara Sadiq 

Three stars

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How to wear a kandura

Dos

  • Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion 
  • Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
  • Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work 
  • Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester

Don’ts 

  • Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal 
  • Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Inside%20Out%202
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (all kick-offs UAE time)

Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin (10.30pm)

Saturday

Freiburg v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)

Paderborn v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)

Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)

Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen (5.30pm)

Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)

Sunday

Schalke v Augsburg (3.30pm)

Mainz v RB Leipzig (5.30pm)

Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf (8pm)

 

 

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final:

First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2

Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20CarbonSifr%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202022%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Onur%20Elgun%2C%20Mustafa%20Bosca%20and%20Muhammed%20Yildirim%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Climate%20tech%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%241%20million%20raised%20in%20seed%20funding%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
FIXTURES (all times UAE)

Sunday
Brescia v Lazio (3.30pm)
SPAL v Verona (6pm)
Genoa v Sassuolo (9pm)
AS Roma v Torino (11.45pm)

Monday
Bologna v Fiorentina (3.30pm)
AC Milan v Sampdoria (6pm)
Juventus v Cagliari (6pm)
Atalanta v Parma (6pm)
Lecce v Udinese (9pm)
Napoli v Inter Milan (11.45pm)

The biog

Born: High Wycombe, England

Favourite vehicle: One with solid axels

Favourite camping spot: Anywhere I can get to.

Favourite road trip: My first trip to Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan. The desert they have over there is different and the language made it a bit more challenging.

Favourite spot in the UAE: Al Dhafra. It’s unique, natural, inaccessible, unspoilt.

Five famous companies founded by teens

There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:

  1. Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate. 
  2. Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc. 
  3. Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway. 
  4. Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
  5. Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.

 

 

On Women's Day
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.

MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW

Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman

Director: Jesse Armstrong

Rating: 3.5/5

Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate 

On Women's Day
more from Janine di Giovanni
While you're here

The Library: A Catalogue of Wonders
Stuart Kells, Counterpoint Press

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes. 

The trip

From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.

Profile of MoneyFellows

Founder: Ahmed Wadi

Launched: 2016

Employees: 76

Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)

Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund

While you're here
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20HyveGeo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abdulaziz%20bin%20Redha%2C%20Dr%20Samsurin%20Welch%2C%20Eva%20Morales%20and%20Dr%20Harjit%20Singh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECambridge%20and%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESustainability%20%26amp%3B%20Environment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%20plus%20undisclosed%20grant%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVenture%20capital%20and%20government%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs

Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12

Power: 819hp

Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm

Price: From Dh1,700,000

Available: Now

While you're here
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

T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12

UAECoronavirusScience