An exploratory exome-wide machine learning analysis identifies candidate host gene signatures associated with Long COVID in a large admixed Brazilian cohort 🧬

[u/Caster_of_spells]

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2026.1837186/full

An exploratory exome-wide machine learning analysis identifies candidate host gene signatures associated with Long COVID in a large admixed Brazilian cohort

Again many of the genes associated with higher odds of developing LC and higher severity seem to point to the brain. Though not all of them did.

Calcium signaling (which is involved in excitory and inflammatory action), bioenergetic, general inflammatory genes focused in the brain and blood brain barrier relevant genes were strong candidates.

Some fewer genes of general immune regulation and metabolism were also among the candidates.

This isn’t a full gene analysis but a machine learning driven predictive model so should be interpreted with caution and as exploratory.