Key takeaways: 

• Medicine is now moving towards personalization, looking at DNA to determine things like nutrient deficiencies and susceptibilities, to help you manage your overall health.
• Zinc seems to be involved in preventing the novel Coronavirus from copying itself.
• SARS and Covid-19 share the same mechanism of entry into our cells, the ACE2 receptor.
• DNA variations (SNPs) have been linked to predispositions to influenza, but those specific variations are not directly related to Covid-19.
• In terms of treating viruses, genetics could help determine what medications might work better or cause adverse reactions for specific genotypes.

Personalized healthcare is becoming the way forward.

According to naturopath Dr. Chris Spooner, modern medicine is moving towards a personalized approach to health,

“…understanding your unique quirks in your genetic variation becomes really helpful in your overall health care.”

In his practice, Dr. Spooner assesses genotypes, looking for nutrient deficiencies and other latent conditions that could help you better understand and manage your own immune system. Knowing your genotype’s zinc requirements, for example, could be helpful, because zinc seems to play a role in preventing the novel Coronavirus from copying itself.

Relationships between Covid-19 and viruses like influenza, H1N1, and SARS

Parallels have been drawn between Covid-19 and older, known viruses like H1N1, influenza and SARS. There has been research linking genetic variation and the production of proteins like TNFA and IFITM, which are heavily involved in the body’s immune response to influenza. 

Unfortunately, knowing if you have a genetic predisposition that increases your susceptibility to influenza is not necessarily relevant when it comes to Covid-19. The cytokines (cell-signalling protein molecules) are not involved in the same way with Covid-19 as they are with influenza, but they are important in regulating your immune system’s inflammatory response to attack. Understanding that process might help predict the level inflammation you could experience in the lungs if you do contract the virus.

Covid-19 and SARS  use the same mechanism to enter the body, the ACE2 receptor, but this is only one of many factors that could influence how the virus ultimately develops.

When it comes to an acute situation, where someone has Covid-19, genetic factors could point to what medications might work better or are more likely to induce an adverse reaction. So far, there are very limited treatment options available for Covid-19, and they center on controlling extreme symptoms, like inflammation or fluid buildup in the lungs.

Exploring your own genotype’s unique attributes is important to managing your overall health, giving you an advantage in personal, preventative health care by highlighting potential deficiencies or other chronic conditions common to your genotype.

Watch Len May, CEO of Endocanna Health, chat with naturopathic specialist Dr. Chris Spooner to pick his brain about personalized medicine and how genetics relate to Covid-19, H1N1, influenza and SARS. 

Learn more about Dr. Chris Spooner here.

Learn more about CEO Len May here.

Visit our website to learn more about our breakthrough DNA test that can help match you with the right CBD or cannabis products to enhance your health and wellness.

Endocanna Health is a biotechnology company committed to helping consumers find the right cannabinoid products to enhance their health and wellness. Using our breakthrough DNA test, Endo·dna, we empower you to take control of your health with access to over 55 different health reports that include suggestions for the best CBD and cannabis products that match your unique genetic code. Visit us here to find out more!