All over the world, people suffered the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on their wellbeing. However, the impact was not the same for everyone. We know physical health and mental health are affected partly by environmental factors, for example the COVID-19 pandemic, but partly by nature (genetics).

The COVID-19 pandemic was an unique opportunity for researchers and the scientific community came together to form the COVID-19 host genetics initiative collaborating on research. Whole communities were suddenly and simultaneously exposed to both the virus and the social changes needed to adapt to government lockdowns.

We have investigated the interaction between genetics and the impact of the pandemic on individuals’ wellbeing over time. We found that people’s trust in authority over lockdown was linked to their genetics, and that it also steadily became more important for their happiness over the course of the pandemic in 2020.

The data was collected from 27,537 participants from the Lifelines study, which has followed 167,000 individuals from multiple generations in the three northern provinces of the Netherlands (Drenthe, Friesland, Groningen) since 2006.

The study collects detailed information and biological samples from its participants. We sent questionnaires asking participants whether they have had COVID-19, about their general health and medication use, social demographics such as income and education, wellbeing and lifestyle.

Read more- https://theconversation.com/whether-you-followed-lockdown-rules-may-have-been-influenced-by-your-genetics-new-research-183173