Headlines like this one in the Daily Mail last week seem to contractive headlines from last summer...
Both studies examined whether genetic variants shared with Neanderthals are associated with an increased risk of covid infection and severity. And it seems some loci are... with others are associated with a decreased risk. These contradictory results aren't really that surprising as many different genetic factors (and environmental factors) are likely to influence risk.
Note: the study gaining press this month has not yet been published as a peer-reviewed article, but the early study was published in Nature last year.
-posted by Brenda Bradley