Abstract
AIMS: During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, significant differences in mortality patterns emerged based on sex and geographical regions. While we were studying on the heredity of variants of the Y chromosome, we observed that regional variations in mortality rates appeared to correlate with the geographical distribution of certain variants of the Y chromosome. This observation led us to propose that some genes on the Y chromosome, with an influence on immune responses, may represent a confounding factor in the observed geographical mortality differences. METHODS: In this analysis, we investigate the potential associations between COVID-19 morbidity and disease-specific mortality and specific Y chromosome variants. The study is based on publicly available pandemic data validated by state authorities or presented in scientific literature documented in PubMed and Medline. RESULTS: We find that Y chromosome haplogroups in different populations exhibit wave-like patterns corresponding with persistent global disparities in COVID-19-related mortality. CONCLUSIONS: These findings warrant further research to uncover possible new pathophysiological mechanisms.