A majority of people experience only mild symptoms when they are diagnosed with COVID-19, but a minority will have a severe or life-threatening response. After COVID-19 started its march around the globe, researchers pointed out that those with increased age or underlying health conditions were at a higher risk of contracting the infection. But why some fit, young people are also succumbing to the infection is one of the biggest puzzles of this pandemic," says Professor Gyaneshwer Chaubey, from the department of zoology (molecular anthropology) at the Banaras Hindu University. Understanding how and why the genetic structure of different populations affects their response to COVID-19 and the severity of the infection, could be the answer to all our questions, he feels. "COVID-19 is strangely and tragically selective."

A senior citizen who recovered from COVID-19, thanks doctors after discharge from Sood Dharamshala in Chandigarh. PIC/GETTY IMAGES