Markers / Gene
OAS1
One position in this gene is readable from a home DNA test.
Neanderthal: the antiviral version of OAS1
rs10774671 · chr12:113,357,193 · G/A · evidence: established
Neanderthals did not only hand over risk. This stretch of chromosome 12 carries a version of an antiviral gene that produces a longer, roughly 60 per cent more active enzyme, and it is associated with protection against severe COVID-19.
| If you carry | What it means |
|---|---|
| No copies | You have the shorter, less active version |
| One copy | You carry one protective copy |
| Two copies | You carry two protective copies |
| Ancestry group | G (the effect version) | |
|---|---|---|
| African | 64.0% | |
| American | 27.4% | |
| East Asian | 25.5% | |
| European | 35.2% | |
| South Asian | 29.0% |
1000 Genomes Project phase 3, via Ensembl, retrieved 2026-09-23. These groupings are coarse and flatten a great deal of internal diversity, particularly within Africa. A variant being common somewhere tells you where a piece of your ancestry probably comes from, and nothing else.
Where this gene fits
If you have taken a home DNA test, these positions are already in your file.
Read my file