The course of SARS-CoV-2 infection ranges from asymptomatic to a multiorgan disease In this observational study, we investigated SARS-CoV-2 infected subjects with defined outcomes, evaluating the relationship between viral load and single nucleotide polymorphisms of genes codifying for IFN&lambda;s (interferon) The study enrolled 381 patients with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection For each patient, a standardized form was filled including sociodemographic variables and clinical outcomes The host&rsquo;s gene polymorphisms (IFNL3 rs1297860 C/T and INFL4 rs368234815 TT/&Delta;G) and RtReal-Time PCR cycle threshold (PCR Ct) value on SARS-CoV-2 were assessed on nasal, pharyngeal or nasopharyngeal swabs Higher viral loads were found in patients aged &gt;74 years and homozygous mutant polymorphisms DG in IFNL4 (adj-OR = 1 16, 95% CI = 1 01&ndash;1 34 and adj-OR = 1 24, 95% CI = 1 09&ndash;1 40, respectively) After adjusting for age and sex, a statistically significantly lower risk of hospitalization was observed in subjects with higher RtReal-Time PCR cycle threshold values (adj-OR = 0 95, 95% CI = 0 91, 0 99;p = 0 028) Our data support the correlation between SARS-CoV-2 load and disease severity, and suggest that IFN&lambda;polymorphisms could affect the ability of the host to modulate viral infection without a clear impact on the outcome of COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2 Viral Load, IFNλ Polymorphisms and the Course of COVID-19: An Observational Study