The African-American population with a low allele frequency of SNP rs1990760 (T allele) in IFIH1 predicts less IFN-beta expression and potential vulnerability to COVID-19 infection

Covid-19 has caused worldwide devastation. IFIH1 is a pattern recognition receptor that senses coronavirus RNA and triggers interferon production as a first line of viral immune defense. The role of IFIH1 polymorphism, rs1990760 (C>T; aaA946T) in the epidemiology of viral infection is well studied, and the minor allele T resists viral infection. Knock-in mice with mutated IFIH1 protein (946T) for this allele have enhanced interferon production and protection from lethal viral infection. The minor allele frequency (Tmaf) varies widely from Africans (0.06 to 0.35) to Chinese (0.19 to 0.23) to Caucasians (0.56 to 0.69). During the initial days of infection when the social restrictions were not imposed, I show that the infection rate in Italy was lower as expected from its higher Tmaf (0.56) than that in China (Tmaf for southern China, 0.23). The infection rate in the USA and Spain was intermediate between those two countries despite higher Caucasian overall Tmaf (0.69), perhaps due to a more admixed African population in these countries. These analyses suggest that African-Americans and Chinese with low Tmaf of rs1990760 are more vulnerable to SARS-COV2 infection, apart from other genetic factors or socioeconomic conditions in these population. Taken together, an IFN-beta supplement might aid in preventing COVID-19 infection and help in development of herd immunity.