BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - How much will coronavirus impact you if you get the disease?
While most people only deal with flu-like symptoms, there have been thousands of people who have died from coronavirus. Others, meanwhile, show no symptoms at all, even though they are carrying the virus.
Doctors at Roswell Park, University at Buffalo, Catholic Health, and Thermo Fisher Scientific will study how much the virus will impact an individual before they are ever diagnosed with the virus. The plan, called "WNY Immunogenomic COVID-19 study" will examine the cells of those who have contracted the virus. Eventually, they hope a simple blood test will be able to determine the seriousness of how coronavirus will impact a person.
"No two people are alike," Roswell Park's Dr. Kunie Odunsi said. "This is clearly being seen when it comes to COVID-19. Some individuals don't get sick at all. They test positive but don't get sick. Some get the usual flu-like symptoms and have the disease for a few days. Some become very sick and may even develop life-threatening symptoms. Could we predict what group people would fall into if they come in contact with the virus?"
Specifically, doctors will identify genetic sequences in the immune response to coronavirus that can be used to predict who is likely to see the worst of the illness. Roswell Park's Dr. Carl Morrison said they will look at the cells that create antibodies to fight coronavirus.
"A subset of them, if present, have the capability to respond to COVID-19 and fight off infection," Morrison said. "If we can look at these...cells using some advanced technology, we can predict if you get infected or exposed to COVID-19, who's not going to get sick? Who's going to get the usual flu-like symptoms?...This is very like what we do with cancer every day."
Doctors will try and recruit patients at area hospitals to contribute to the study and hope to complete the study in six months. It's possible for the doctors to study the cells of those who have died if blood was extracted ahead of their death.
