Ramzi Foudeh, president of the Jordanian Society for Genetic Engineers (JSGE), stated that the genetic variation is present in Arabs, which he claimed explains why the number of coronavirus cases in Israel is much higher than that in the Palestinian territories.As of Sunday afternoon, Israel had reported 15,398 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 200 deaths. The Palestinian Authority reported 495 infections and four deaths.
"The theory can be proven based on the fact that the flu virus has been more fatal in East Asia and Europe than it has been in the Middle East," said Foudeh.
Foudeh claimed that Arabs have a specific single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) differing them from East Asia and Europe that increases their ability to fight the virus. An SNP represents "a difference in a single DNA building block, called a nucleotide," according to the US National Library of Medicine. While most SNPs have no effect on health or development, some have important effects on human health and can be studied to predict an individual's response to a certain drug or their risk of developing a disease.
According to the study, the immunity comes from the difference in the number of pulmonary receptors, such as ACE-2, the receptor which the coronavirus targets to enter human cells, between those of Middle Eastern origin and those from East Asia and Europe, Al-Araby reported.
"For every virus entering the pulmonary cells of a person of Arab Middle Eastern origin, 1000 viruses will enter the pulmonary cells of persons of East Asian or European origin, and thus the immune system will resist the lowest number of the virus associated with ease," said Foudeh.
The study is being carried out by a team led by Walid Al-Zyoud and Hazem Haddad as part of research funded by the Jordanian Ministry of Higher Education.
Muhannad Malik, a researcher specializing in molecular biology and cellular cancer, told RT that the research conducted by JSGE shows correlation, but not necessarily causation.
"There is an association between what the JSGE reported and the SNPs, that is, the two phenomena are related, but that does not mean that the resistance of Arab people to the virus is stronger than that of people in the West," said Malik to RT.
"It is not permissible to publish studies or spread ideas only to reassure people in a wrong way, and in a way that reduces their interest in fighting a dangerous virus such as the coronavirus, which leads to them becoming infected more quickly with the virus," warned Malik.
As of Sunday afternoon, Jordan had confirmed 444 cases of the coronavirus with 7 deaths. The country instituted harsh lockdown measures very soon after the first cases were reported, preventing the spread of the virus.
Saudi Arabia has confirmed 16,299 cases of the novel coronavirus and 136 deaths. The UAE, a country with a much larger land area and a slightly larger population than Israel, has confirmed 9,813 cases and 71 deaths.