Cuban President praises genetic researches on Covid-19

Cuba's President, Miguel Diaz-Canel, praised on Sunday the study on the genetic risk factors associated to the clinical severity of Covid-19, undertaken by Cuban scientists.

In his Twitter account, the President emphasized that this research will allow to perfect the strategies to confront the disease, although he pointed out that self-responsibility continues to be the best option to protect oneself from the dangerous condition.

Diaz-Canel shared a publication from Juventud Rebelde newspaper in which he refers to some of the main results obtained in the investigation undertaken by the National Center of Medical Genetics (CNGM), together with the provincial departments and municipal genetic services.

In this sense, it is worth noting that so far no cases of newborns with congenital defects derived from mothers suffering from the disease during pregnancy have been reported.

Dr. Hilda Roblejo, specialist of I and II degree in Clinical Genetics, professor and assistant researcher and head of Teaching and Research of the CNGM, referred that since the first cases of Covid-19 in the country, the institution has been watching the evolution of pregnant women, to observe possible effects of that nature.

The research began early in June and the field work concluded on July 25, but the samples of the participants are still being analyzed, due to the high complexity of the research and the multiple factors to be considered.

One thousand 182 patients participated in this investigation, (1,045 adults and 137 children) and 502 first degree relatives who lived with the patients, but they were not infected with SARS-CoV-2; therefore, it was interesting to evaluate their immunological states and to identify genetic protection factors.

The CNGM is the institution of national reference for the Program of diagnosis, management and prevention of genetic diseases and congenital defects, and the research carried out is part of the more than 700 that have been generated in Cuba from the Covid-19.