Coronavirus may interact with the cells of Italians differently than with the cells of residents of other countries because of the nature of the genome, medRxiv reported referring to the study. 

According to TASS, the severity of symptoms and the spread of coronavirus in a population are associated with the predominance or absence of certain versions of the ACE2 gene in humans. Scientists have identified three ACE2 gene variations, which are quite common among Italians and other European peoples but have almost never been reported among Asians.

Having entered the body, the coronavirus enters the cells of the lung alveoli, using the molecules of the ACE2 protein. The gene encoding this protein has several variations that can affect the ACE2 structure and the mechanism by which the virus connects with the protein outgrowth used to enter cells.

Scientists analyzed 7,000 genomes of the Italian residents to study the described features and identified three of the most common variants of this gene, as well as about 30 rarer versions of ACE2.

As it turned out, the Italians have one of the most common variations (p.Asn720Asp), as well as three rare mutations that interacted with the coronavirus differently from ACE2 variations, which are more common among Asian people. Perhaps this may explain why the death toll in Italy is so high.