The COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything: from how we work, learn, and interact, to how active, or inactive, we are each day.
<h2><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-28320 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Figure-1-Steps-300x261.png" alt="" width="300" height="261" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Figure-1-Steps-300x261.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Figure-1-Steps-1024x889.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Figure-1-Steps-768x667.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Figure-1-Steps-880x764.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Figure-1-Steps-1180x1025.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Figure-1-Steps.png 1598w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Less Walking</h2>
People are walking a lot less and sleeping more since efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 began in March, according to new data compiled by 23andMe. Researchers looked at data from 33,000 individuals, who consented to participate in research, and included about 20 million data points tracking more than two months of activity. While we know the virus itself presents serious health risks, these changes in daily behavior may also impact our health in more subtle ways.
“It really comes down to the small everyday things; the commute to work, dropping the kids at daycare or school, the grocery store runs, the walk to get lunch,” said Teresa Filshtein Sonmez, Ph.D., a 23andMe Research Biostatistician, who is a part of the team looking at the data. “All the small everyday physical actions we take add up.&#8221;
<h2>Disrupting Routines</h2>
Teresa noted that while we are sheltering-in-place, we are not doing those things.
&#8220;We know the pandemic is disrupting our lives, but we also want to understand how these changes may affect our health,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We want to understand COVID-19 and the impacts it has, from every angle (not just the <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/blood-type-and-covid-19/">genetic one</a>!); e.g., what is the &#8216;health cost&#8217; of 1000 less steps a day? &#8221;

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-28307 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/steps-by-day-of-the-week-300x186.png" alt="" width="300" height="186" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/steps-by-day-of-the-week-300x186.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/steps-by-day-of-the-week.png 512w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Since U.S. residents first began sheltering in place, the daily number of steps taken on average dropped by 22 percent, according to 23andMe’s data. (See Figure 1.) This data came from customers who have consented to participate in research and are sharing data from either iPhones or Apple Watches. The observed pattern is even more striking on weekends. (See Figure 2.) For example, since shelter-in-place policies were enacted, the average number of steps taken on Sundays decreased by about 35 percent. In comparison, during the same period in 2019, the number of daily steps actually increased, likely due to better weather and longer spring days.
<h2>Differences between Groups</h2>
The 23andMe analysis also compared step data across genders and age groups. While we did not observe substantial differences between men and women, the age patterns told a different story. Grouped by age, we found that activity declined within each age group, but for younger individuals, this reduction in activity was especially profound. Before the shelter in place orders, people in their 20s &#8211; 40s had the most steps, but since mid-March, the physical activity patterns have reversed&#8211; with the people in their 20s experiencing the most drastic decrease.  (See Figure 3.)
<div id="attachment_28308" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28308" class="wp-image-28308 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Weekend-steps-300x219.png" alt="" width="300" height="219" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Weekend-steps-300x219.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Weekend-steps.png 512w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Figure 3. Step totals by age group before and after shelter in place orders.</div>
The sleep data is a little more challenging to understand because our data come from smart devices rather than sleep trackers. Specifically, we know how long each device has been inactive at night. From that data, we can see that device inactivity increased by about an hour and a half (+12%) during the week. When we dove a little deeper into the device inactivity period, we saw that this extra 1.5 hours of inactivity was restricted to the morning. (See Figure 4.)  In other words, compared to pre-COVID behavior, people seem to be putting their devices down for the night at approximately the same time, but they are starting their days (or initiating device use) a little bit later each day. While device inactivity is not a direct measure of sleep, our data show a substantial change in our customers’ behavior.
<h2><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-28309 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Device-Inactivity-sleep-300x257.png" alt="" width="300" height="257" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Device-Inactivity-sleep-300x257.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Device-Inactivity-sleep.png 512w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Parents and Families</h2>
Sheltering-in-place has not only transformed the lives of adults, confining most of us to working from home but has also led to the closures of most schools and daycare centers. To explore how these changes affected parents’ activity levels, we compared both daily steps and average wake-up time across individuals with and without children living at home.*  We observed that COVID-related physical activity changes were more dramatic for individuals without children, especially among men.
On average, in the two weeks since the shelter-in-place ordinances, men without children walked 26% less than in the preceding two weeks, while men with children only reduced their step count by 10%.  Similarly, women without children had a step reduction of 25%, compared to only 20% for mothers. In addition, the median change in the wake-up time for men without children was about 25 minutes greater than it was for fathers. However, we saw only a slight change in this same measure among women. While this could be explained by women sleeping more, it is also possible that women just pick up their devices later in the morning. In fact, other <a href="https://ww2.amstat.org/meetings/jsm/2020/onlineprogram/AbstractDetails.cfm?abstractid=313088">studies by 23andMe scientists</a> have explored gender differences in activity vs. phone use behaviors.
<h2>Other Published Data</h2>
Our findings are consistent with other published evidence on the far-reaching effects of the COVID-19 epidemic. Fitbit&#8211; a fitness tracker manufacturer&#8211; recently<a href="https://blog.fitbit.com/covid-19-global-activity/"> published data</a> showing that in early March, the number of average steps taken by their millions of users has dropped by between 7 percent and 38 percent, depending on the country. Predictably, the largest decreases were in countries suffering the most serious outbreaks, like Spain and Italy. For the U.S., the activity changes reported by Fitbit were modest compared to 23andMe’s data. However, Fitbit only considered data from one week in March whereas 23andMe examined several months’ worth of activity patterns.
This small sampling of the data shows just how much the pandemic has disrupted people’s lives. These changes in activity and sleep may have a lasting health impact that is not captured by infection rates but can compellingly be attributed to the pandemic.
*This analysis was limited to participants in the 20-50 age group.

23andMe Blog

23andMe Blog Team

One Thousand Steps Less During COVID-19

By Caroline Wallis, 23andMe Content Strategist
As a 23andMe employee, I know <a href="https://www.23andme.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">genetic testing</a> sometimes uncovers family secrets. Having learned of one myself, I also know some of the many emotions that can ensue with these kinds of surprises. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/InheritanceHiRes.jpg" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-28302 size-medium" width="195" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/InheritanceHiRes.jpg 1556w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/InheritanceHiRes-195x300.jpg 195w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/InheritanceHiRes-664x1024.jpg 664w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/InheritanceHiRes-768x1185.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/InheritanceHiRes-571x880.jpg 571w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/InheritanceHiRes-765x1180.jpg 765w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 195px) 100vw, 195px" />
But <a href="https://danishapiro.com/contact-bio/">Dani Shapiro</a>’s poignant memoir <a href="https://danishapiro.com/books/inheritance/">Inheritance </a>goes beyond just emotion and follows the slow unraveling of a family secret that challenges everything the author knew about herself. 
An only child from an Orthodox Jewish household, Shapiro is an accomplished memoirist, who was already fascinated with identity when she decided to take a DNA test as an adult. After receiving her results suggesting the dad she grew up with wasn’t actually her biological father, Shapiro embarks on a quest to find her “real” relatives. 
This journey takes her all over the US to consult medical experts, spiritual leaders, and relatives both genetic and otherwise. Along the way, she learns about the untold early history of fertility clinics like the one she was conceived in. The experience imparts new perspectives on paternity, the meaning of family, and identity.  
One of the biggest lessons I took away from this book is that there is no script for these kinds of reunion stories. Although my story is slightly different, (e.g. My parents are in fact my biological parents) the waves of shock, anguish, and new-found determination that Dani Shapiro described were all emotions that resonated with my own experience. 
Inheritance is a heartfelt personal story told with an honesty that has validated and helped me navigate my own journey. 
&nbsp;

Caroline Wallis

Reflecting on my own journey

Editor&#8217;s note 9/5/23: Thanks to all our readers for their questions on this post. Please note, 23andMe does not currently offer a report on blood type, and our COVID-19 research is now complete. See the findings from our <a class="waffle-rich-text-link" href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/covid-19-three-years-in">COVID-19 Study here</a>.



Preliminary data from 23andMe’s ongoing genetic study of COVID-19 appears to lend more evidence for the importance of a person’s blood type — determined by the ABO gene — in differences in the susceptibility to the virus.



While 23andMe researchers continue to explore the implications of this data, we&#8217;re also continuing to provide important genetic health information to our customers. <a class="waffle-rich-text-link" href="https://www.23andme.com/compare-dna-tests/">Compare our DNA tests</a> to learn more about our services.



23andMe is still recruiting for its <a href="https://you.23andme.com/covid19-study/">massive study</a>, most recently seeking <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-expands-covid-study/">10,000 participants</a> outside of 23andMe who have been hospitalized and diagnosed with COVID-19. (Note: Currently, only those living in the U.S. are eligible to participate in this study.) 23andMe researchers have yet to finish looking at what the genetic data indicate.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-first-look">A First Look</h2>



But a first blush look at the information from the more than 750,000 participants in the study shows the following:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>The preliminary data suggest that O blood type appears to be protective against the virus when compared to all other blood types.</li>



<li>Individuals with O blood type are between 9-18% percent less likely than individuals with other blood types to have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the data.</li>



<li>There appeared to be little differences in susceptibility among the other blood types.</li>



<li>These findings hold when adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, ethnicity, and co-morbidities.</li>



<li>Although <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.08.20058073v1.full.pdf">one study</a> found the blood group O only to be protective across rhesus positive blood types, differences in rhesus factor (blood type + or -) were not significant in 23andMe data. Nor was this a factor in susceptibility or severity in cases.</li>



<li>Among those exposed to the virus — healthcare and other front line workers — 23andMe found that blood type O is similarly protective, but the proportion of cases within strata is higher.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-preliminary-genetic-association">Preliminary Genetic Association</h2>



While it is still very early in the study, 23andMe’s preliminary investigation into genetics seems to support these findings. We&#8217;ve compared the research participants who reported that they tested positive for COVID-19 to those who tested negative. Our researchers identified a variant in the ABO gene associated with a lower risk. (The single nucleotide polymorphism in the ABO gene is rs505922, a T at that location is associated with lower risk. The P-value for the association is 1.4e-8, OR = 0.88).



Both the data on blood type and the preliminary genetic findings also appear to support at least two recently published pre-print studies — one by <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.11.20031096v2">researchers in China</a> and the most recent one by <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.31.20114991v1">researchers in Italy and Spain</a> — that look at the ABO gene’s role in COVID-19. The study in China looked at susceptibility, while the Italian and Spanish study found an association with blood type and severity of the illness.



Numerous other studies have reported that the ABO blood group plays a role in both susceptibility and severity for COVID-19 (refs: <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.11.20031096v2">1</a>, <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.31.20114991v1">2,</a> <a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.31.20114991v1">3</a>). We know from <a href="https://cmr.asm.org/content/28/3/801">other studies</a> that the ABO blood group can play a direct role in other types of infections. This is because it serves as receptors, or coreceptors for microorganisms, parasites, and viruses. The preliminary findings from 23andMe’s data are also notable because of the link between COVID-19 <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01403-8">blood clotting</a>, and <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2007621">cardiovascular disease</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-comparing-blood-types">Comparing Blood Types</h2>



23andMe researchers wanted to investigate this link with blood type, so we estimated the contribution to risk by comparing each blood group against each of the others. Because the differences are quite small, an extremely large sample size is needed to explore differences across groups. For 23andMe’s study, which now includes more than 750,000 individuals, we investigated the cumulative incidence of self-reported COVID-19 by blood type, hospitalization by blood type, and proportion of those infected after known exposure by blood type.



Here is what we found.



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="185" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Table-1-Comparison-by-Blood-Type-300x185.png" alt="A chart showing the percent of 23andMe research participants who tested positive for COVID-19 by blood group" class="wp-image-28288" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Table-1-Comparison-by-Blood-Type-300x185.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Table-1-Comparison-by-Blood-Type-768x475.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Table-1-Comparison-by-Blood-Type-880x544.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Table-1-Comparison-by-Blood-Type.png 922w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Percent of 23andMe research participants who tested positive for COVID-19, by blood group.</figcaption></figure>



Among respondents to the 23andMe COVID-19 survey, the percent of respondents reporting a positive test for COVID-19 is lowest for people who are O blood type. The percent of respondents reporting a positive test for COVID-19 was highest among those with the AB blood type.



Those who were blood groups A, B, and AB did not statistically differ from each other (Table 1 Below). This relationship holds after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, race, ethnicity, and co-morbidities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-at-those-with-higher-probability-for-exposure-to-covid-19">Looking at Those with Higher Probability for Exposure to COVID-19</h2>



<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.08.20058073v1.full.pdf">One study</a> found the blood group O protective only across rhesus positive blood types. But in 23andMe’s data we found that differences by self-reported rhesus factor (blood type + or -) were not significant. Neither was the interaction between blood group and rhesus factor in statistical models predicting being a case, or being a hospitalized case.



To better understand the risk of acquiring the infection, we restricted the data to those with a high probability of exposure. This included professional health care workers. These would be individuals with close contact with known cases, and essential workers. As you can see below, blood type O shows a similar pattern as seen above. But the proportion of cases within strata is higher, as we would expect.



After adjustment for age, age squared, sex, race (census race categories), ethnicity (Hispanic or Latino), BMI, and a single variable indicating a vulnerability to severe infection (e.g. high-risk co-morbidity or immunocompromised) blood type O showed a protective effect against both acquiring (OR = 0.86, p &lt; 0.0001), and being hospitalized for the infection (OR = 0.81, p = 0.05). The protective effect of acquiring the infection strengthened in models restricted to the “exposed” population (OR = 0.81, p &lt; 0.0001). (Table 1).



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="292" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Case-v-Controls-Outcomes-Table-1024x292.png" alt="A chart showing cases and controls and the odds ratios" class="wp-image-28291" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Case-v-Controls-Outcomes-Table-1024x292.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Case-v-Controls-Outcomes-Table-300x85.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Case-v-Controls-Outcomes-Table-768x219.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Case-v-Controls-Outcomes-Table-880x251.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Case-v-Controls-Outcomes-Table-1180x336.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Case-v-Controls-Outcomes-Table.png 1502w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Table 1. Adjusted Odds Ratios (ORs) and 95% Confidence Interval (CI) estimating the effect of blood type O compared to all other blood types for the risk of infection (case v control) or hospitalization. An OR is a statistic that quantifies the strength of the association between a measurement and an outcome, while a Confidence Interval is a range of values that is likely to contain the true unknown value.</figcaption></figure>



In the whole population, those with the O blood group were 9-18% less likely to test positive compared to the other groups. When looking at only exposed individuals, those with O blood group were 13-26% less likely to test positive.



<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="185" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Blood-Type-for-Exposed-Individuals-1-300x185.png" alt="A chart showing blood type for people exposed to COVID-19" class="wp-image-28292" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Blood-Type-for-Exposed-Individuals-1-300x185.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Blood-Type-for-Exposed-Individuals-1-768x475.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Blood-Type-for-Exposed-Individuals-1-880x544.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Blood-Type-for-Exposed-Individuals-1.png 922w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></figure>



<h6 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-"><code style="display: none;"> 
</code><code style="display: none;"></code></h6>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-still-recruiting">Still Recruiting</h2>



23andMe launched its COVID-19 study on April 6th. We invited customers to participate in the large-scale study looking at whether genetics could help explain the differences in <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/covid-19-severity-calculator">severity among patients</a>. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="624" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Exposed-population-1024x624.jpg" alt="A chart showing the percent of those exposed to COVID-19 who were diagnosed with it." class="wp-image-28293" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Exposed-population-1024x624.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Exposed-population-300x183.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Exposed-population-768x468.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Exposed-population-880x536.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Exposed-population.jpg 1044w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Percent reporting positive test for COVID-19 among those with a high probability of exposure (health care professionals, essential workers, and those experiencing personal contact with a diagnosed case), by blood group.</figcaption></figure>



In May, the study was <a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/23andme-expands-covid-study/">expanded.</a> We added individuals outside of 23andMe who have experienced severe COVID-19 symptoms. The <a href="https://you.23andme.com/covid19-study/">expanded study</a>, in which 23andMe is providing 10,000 kits free of charge, aims to identify individuals who tested positive and were hospitalized for COVID-19. As part of the research, participants answer survey questions. These are questions about whether they’ve experienced cold or flu-like symptoms for instance. We also ask whether they’ve been diagnosed or<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/mapping-genetics-of-covid-19"> treated for COVID-19</a>, and whether they’ve been hospitalized for the illness.



The study and recruitment are ongoing. We hope that we can use our research platform to better understand differences in how people respond to the virus. Ultimately, we hope to publish our research findings. We want to provide more insight into COVID-19 for the scientific community.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-learn-more">Learn More</h2>



Find out if your <a href="https://www.23andme.com/test-info/genetic-health/">genetics</a> might Increase your risk for any health conditions with 23andMe.

A logo for 23andMe's COVID-19 Research Study

Blood type may play a role in COVID-19 

Father&#8217;s Day is coming up, and many of us are scrambling to find a funny card, the right gift, or the perfect words to say to our dads this year.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-28279 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_5035-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1920" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_5035-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_5035-300x225.jpg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_5035-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_5035-768x576.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_5035-880x660.jpg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/IMG_5035-1180x885.jpg 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" />
But for a select few 23andMe customers, this Father&#8217;s Day will be their first with their birth fathers.
While fatherhood is about much more than biology, for many using DNA to connect with their birth fathers for the first time has given them answers to questions about their origins, and their family history. Seeing how DNA connects them has helped these fathers and children better understand themselves, the traits that make them who they are, and what they have passed on to their own children.

<h6>Feeling Whole</h6>
It isn&#8217;t always easy or even pleasant, but for some making these connections has been life-altering and wonderfully unexpected.
&#8220;Growing up, I wasn&#8217;t sure of myself or who I was,&#8221; said Keani, who recently found and connected with her birth father, Adam. &#8220;I was trying to find my identity. Now I feel more confident. I don&#8217;t have this hole in my heart. I have the other half of who I am.&#8221;
Her grandparents raised Keani, and she considered her granddad, her Pop-Pop, as her father. He passed away not too long ago. Finding Adam, her birth father, and building a relationship with him and his family, came at a perfect time. She just graduated from college and got married. Keani, her husband, and her 7-year-old daughter are moving from her home on the east coast to be closer to Adam.
For Adam, who has a teenage son and a foster child with his partner in Seattle, finding his daughter has been the ultimate gift. When she first came to visit him and his family, Adam gave her a present for each of her 29 birthdays that he missed. He also gave her a key to his home in Seattle and a specially engraved necklace.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve grown this relationship, it&#8217;s so strong, and it&#8217;s so amazing,&#8221; said Adam. &#8220;I&#8217;ve never been happier in my entire life. She&#8217;s my daughter, and it&#8217;s fantastic. Keani will never lay her head down at night again, wondering where I am or how I feel. I love her with all my heart and soul. I feel privileged to let her know that every night for the rest of my life.&#8221;
<h6>A Gift</h6>
Reba, of North Carolina, had been searching for most of her life. She was adopted. Many years ago she was able to find her birth mother using her adoption records, but her efforts to connect with her mother were rebuffed. Reba thought the door to finding out anything more about her birth parents had been closed. But she never gave up hope.
<div id="attachment_28281" style="width: 235px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-28281" class="wp-image-28281 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/20200522_070600-1-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="225" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/20200522_070600-1-225x300.jpg 225w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/20200522_070600-1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/20200522_070600-1-660x880.jpg 660w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/20200522_070600-1-885x1180.jpg 885w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/20200522_070600-1-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" />Reba and her dad.</div>
Then her daughter gave her a <a href="https://www.23andme.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DNA testing kit</a> as a gift. Using 23andMe’s Family Tree feature, which sketches DNA Relative matches on the maternal and paternal branches of your family tree, Reba was able to find her father’s name. While her mother’s side of the tree was empty, her father’s side was filled up with relatives. She saw her birth father’s name, along with his sister, Reba’s aunt. Reba learned that they were from the same town in Ohio where she grew up.
“This was my key to locating and contacting my father,” she said.
She ultimately connected with her birth father via Facebook. He responded to her messages and was eager to connect. She learned her father had never known of her birth, and he’d also never had children of his own.  Within five days of connecting, he drove and a nephew,  from his home in Florida to meet her in person at her home in North Carolina. He didn&#8217;t want to waste any time waiting to meet his daughter.
&#8220;I have a daughter, I have a granddaughter, and I have a grandson. I have to be there!&#8221; he told Reba.
The hours leading up to <a href="https://youtu.be/pk2Md9HGczo">seeing him for the first time</a> were filled with nervous excitement for Reba.
&#8220;Finding what I thought I&#8217;d lost forever … was a gift from God,&#8221; she said.
In May, she was able to celebrate his birthday with him at his home in Tampa. They&#8217;ll be celebrating Father&#8217;s Day together too. Their first one as father and daughter.
<h6>A Special Gift for Father&#8217;s Day</h6>
Linda always knew she&#8217;d been adopted. She didn&#8217;t have a great desire to find and meet her biological family. Her adoptive parents loved her, and she thought meeting her birth father or mother, &#8220;would be like meeting a stranger.&#8221;
Or at least that&#8217;s what she thought until it actually happened.
Linda, on a whim and at the suggestions of a friend, used 23andMe and found not just her birth father, but her birth mother as well, and a brother. Her biological parents had been teenagers when they had her and put her up for adoption. A few years later, they got married and had two sons. One recently passed away. Meeting them, she said, brought her so much joy. Linda was surprised at the emotions that welled up in her when she traveled from her home in Arizona to Florida to meet them in person for the first time.
&#8220;I actually have a video of us driving in,&#8221; she told the <a href="https://www.scottsdale.org/neighboors/scottsdale-woman-finally-meets-her-birth-parents/article_1bed0800-88a7-11ea-9f47-eb5567922607.html">Scottsdale Progress</a>, her hometown paper &#8220;I didn&#8217;t realize how excited I was. When my Dad [hugged] me … he held me for the longest time, and I was just balling.&#8221;
She also saw her own kids, her son, and daughter, in her birth father, and her brother. They carried themselves in the same way and have similar mannerisms and expressions.
It wasn&#8217;t just the physical similarities, her son is burly like them, but his interests too. He&#8217;s an electrician, and so are several members of her birth father&#8217;s family. While she was in Florida, her father shared that he, too was filled with emotion. &#8220;Oh, my heart&#8217;s just a flutter seeing everyone together,&#8221; he told her.
This Father&#8217;s Day is going to be different this year, Linda said.
&#8220;Well, I haven&#8217;t had a father to celebrate with since 1988 when my adoptive father passed away,&#8221; said Linda. &#8220;My only grandpa I knew passed when I was 5. So, finding my dad was huge for me!”
Linda is using some of the photos she took during her visit to make her dad “a special gift.&#8221;

This Father’s Day Is their First

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we here at 23andMe — researchers, engineers, scientists, and content creators — continue to work, albeit from home. Like a lot of you, we also get a little overwhelmed with the news but are trying to stay positive and support each other. It helps to have a mission that gives us purpose and a CEO who inspires.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-28274 size-larger" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Silver_Linings-880x298.png" alt="" width="880" height="298" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Silver_Linings-880x298.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Silver_Linings-300x102.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Silver_Linings-1024x347.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Silver_Linings-768x260.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Silver_Linings-1180x400.png 1180w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 880px) 100vw, 880px" />
But we also have each other. One of the things we recently did was to invite employees to share with us their “silver linings,” the bright spots of their days spent working from home and sheltering in place with their families or on their own.

Below are a few we collected to share. It’s a reminder that even in our darkest hours there’s always room for a little light.
<ul>
<li>“I&#8217;m much more aware of the seasonal awakening of the flowers and trees around my yard, and all the birds that fly through,” said Crystal, who works with on 23andMe’s security team.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>For Patty, one of our engineers, her silver lining was just a simple kindness from a neighbor who noticed she was suffering from allergies: “My neighbor asked me if I wanted some allergy medicine … She went into her house and brought out a bottle of Zyrtec about three-quarters full. As I went to open the bottle to take a single pill out, she said I could keep the whole thing!”</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Ted, another engineer, said he’s had more time to tidy up and hang with his kids: “The house is incredibly clean and in its best state of repair since I don’t have the excuse of “too busy” to fix stuff. Biking with the kids more often. Gaming with the kids: Playing Minecraft, Star Wars Battlefront (the originals from the 2000s, not the EA pay-as-you-go ones), and… Oregon Trail! Eating together as a family.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>For Lindsay, who works in with the communications team, working from home has given her more time to connect with loved ones far away: “This week I played virtual trivia with my loved ones who are currently spread out all around the country and world!”</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Chalise, who is on the engineering team, also talked about how this time has brought her closer to her family:  “I’ve been texting and calling with my sisters on the east coast a lot more because it&#8217;s easier to chat with them in the morning now. Plus they have been finding entertaining ways to stay connected, like a letter, my sister wrote to me (with the tea-stained paper, burnt edges.)”</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Joanna, part of our research team, has reaped the bounty of her son’s baking. He had been working in Washington DC but decided to come back to California and work from here: “My son is baking sourdough bread (to order) on a regular basis.  I just had a slice of very whole wheat with butter and “summer blackberry and lemon” jam we got in Pacific Grove in December…  My favorite so far is whole wheat with toasted walnuts and sunflower seeds.  The process is fascinating.  He started by making the starter over a month ago and has been baking for 3 weeks now…  I love having him home and the bread is a big bonus.”</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Katie, on the communications team, has a new ritual with her two sons and her husband each afternoon: “I&#8217;m forced to play soccer with my boys daily, so my soccer skills have definitely improved!”</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Sarah, who works on our product science team, is making sure to get time outside: “It’s so wonderful to go for long walks/runs/bike rides just as spring is springing! I love spending more time with my SO during the day. I feel so tremendously grateful that (a) I still have a job and, (b) it’s a job I can totally do from home.”</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>For Teresa, on the research team, the time at home is a bonus for her cats. “Among many other things, getting sucked into some middle of the day quick cuddles with [my cats]. Reminds me of grad school days when we first got them.”</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Steve, on the engineering team, only magnified what he has always felt about his family. “The totality of the COVID-19 situation is amplifying the love and pride I feel for my family back in Ohio, including my brother and sister who are both MDs powering through the challenges to deliver the necessary care to folks, and my 83-year-old mom making and delivering hundreds of masks each week. Another silver lining &#8211; Locally, SIP has inspired a daily routine to end each day of zoom meeting madness with a proper glass of wine with my wife on our front porch enjoying the incredible neighborhood spirit and the many friendly folks walking the sidewalks.”</li>
</ul>
These were some of our silver linings. What are yours?

Working from Home Silver Lining Stories from 23andMe

A new study that relied on data from more than four million 23andMe customers, may help speed efforts now underway to find drug targets for treating Parkinson&#8217;s disease.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-3133 size-full" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/parkinsonsdisease.jpg" alt="" width="260" height="236" />Working with researchers at 23andMe, scientists at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, were able to identify a very rare group of individuals who have what are called &#8220;loss of function&#8221; alleles in the gene LRRK2. These 1,400 individuals also do not appear any more or less healthy than those without the loss of function alleles, even though the alleles have essentially turned off the function of one of their LRRK2 genes.
This finding, published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0893-5">Nature Medicine</a>, gives drug hunters looking for new treatments more evidence that they may be able to safely target that gene, which is the most common genetic cause for Parkinson&#8217;s.

<h6>Collaborating and Leveraging Data</h6>
The paper was one of <a href="https://www.broadinstitute.org/node/629796">seven published </a>by the researchers using data from Broad&#8217;s <a href="https://www.nature.com/immersive/d42859-020-00002-x/index.html">Genome Aggregation Database</a> (gnomAD), which brings together exome and sequence data from many sources for researchers. Leveraging that data, the researchers looked not just at Parkinson’s disease, but also developed a catalog of human variation, insights into population genetics, disease association, and diagnostic screening.
A grant from the <a href="https://www.michaeljfox.org/">Michael J. Fox Foundation</a> helped pay for the work on the LRRK2 paper, which included essential contributions from scientists at Imperial College London, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The study also included data from the <a href="https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/">UK Biobank</a> and Broad&#8217;s gnomAD.
&#8220;The study is another illustration of the immense value of 23andMe&#8217;s data,&#8221; said Paul Cannon Ph.D., 23andMe&#8217;s Parkinson&#8217;s disease research manager. &#8220;Having this very large genetically and phenotypically characterized cohort offers novel opportunities to look for evidence of any potential safety concerns for drugs for targets like these, which individuals at risk of developing Parkinson’s, may end up taking chronically, perhaps for decades .&#8221;
<h6>Looking at LRRK2</h6>
As part of their work, the researchers were also able to confirm many known loss of function variants in the LRRK2 gene, which are extremely rare. But the researchers also found that about 1,400 individuals in the 23andMe database carried one of three loss of function variants. The 23andMe data includes extensive health as well as other <a href="https://www.23andme.com/research/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">phenotypic information</a>. This allowed researchers to determine that those individuals did not appear to be suffering health effects from that loss of function.
In most cases, the cause of Parkinson&#8217;s disease is unknown. There is a complex mix of genetic and environmental factors at play that lead to the development of the disease. But in the last decade, researchers have identified variants in a handful of genes, including <a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/LRRK2#normalfunction">LRRK2</a>, associated with developing Parkinson&#8217;s disease. In the case of LRRK2 a variant in the gene is associated with the overproduction of certain proteins in the brain. Scientists have long believed that one avenue for treating the disease may lie in modifying, or &#8220;down-regulating&#8221; the function of the LRRK2 gene. Still, they want to better understand whether that can be done safely.
&#8220;These results suggest that drugs that reduce LRRK2 kinase activity are unlikely to show toxicity due to on-target effects,&#8221; the researchers state in the paper.

Large Study Offers Insight into Parkinson’s

For <a href="https://www.un.org/en/observances/international-day-of-families">International Day of Families</a>, 23andMe wanted to share with you what amounts to an international family story.
Life has been good for Paul Knoll.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-28257 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image6-1-224x300.jpeg" alt="" width="224" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image6-1-224x300.jpeg 224w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image6-1.jpeg 452w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 224px) 100vw, 224px" />
He and his wife raised two sons and a daughter. For years, he operated a successful professional staffing agency in New York City. Then not too long ago he moved back to his hometown in Nebraska, to retire. And he took more time to visit his kids and spend a little more time with his five grandchildren.
Life is good.

<h6>A French Canadian Connection</h6>
Adopted at nine months, Paul grew up in Nebraska with five siblings, four others were also adopted. But since he can remember, Paul, 67, had a nagging question he was never able to answer. Who were my birth parents, and why did my mom leave me in a Catholic home in Quebec, Canada, for unwanted children?
&#8220;Over the years, I tried to find out more,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But I never was able to find much information about them.&#8221;
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-28256 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image3-1-e1588962325465-203x300.jpeg" alt="" width="203" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image3-1-e1588962325465-203x300.jpeg 203w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image3-1-e1588962325465-694x1024.jpeg 694w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image3-1-e1588962325465-768x1134.jpeg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image3-1-e1588962325465-596x880.jpeg 596w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image3-1-e1588962325465-799x1180.jpeg 799w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/image3-1-e1588962325465.jpeg 1064w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 203px) 100vw, 203px" />
Paul traveled to Quebec a few times to see if he could find records of his adoption, but the records were sealed, and the nuns gave up little information on his origins. All he learned was that his birth mother was a teenager when she became pregnant. Eventually, he gave up trying to find out more.
That all changed after his daughter, Katie, gave him a <a href="https://www.23andme.com/gifts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DNA testing kit</a> as a gift two years ago. She too wanted to know more about her father&#8217;s origins, his ties to Quebec, and his <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Acadians">Acadian</a> roots. But neither expected what came next.
<h6>Someone in Omaha Love You</h6>
Soon after they both tested, opted into 23andMe&#8217;s DNA Relative tool, Katie told her dad that Paul&#8217;s half-sister had contacted her. And his half-sister said to them that Paul&#8217;s birth father, Pierre, is still alive and thriving at 92.
&#8220;I was floored,&#8221; Paul said.
For years all his focus was on his birth mom. He never expected to find his father. He&#8217;d been wondering about his mother. But instead, he&#8217;d suddenly connected with a sister and learned the identity of his father. And the surprises didn&#8217;t end there. Paul had six other half-siblings, five sisters and a brother. With email and phone calls, he soon had connected with all of them.
&#8220;All of a sudden, I got a whole family here,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We were just ecstatic over this news.&#8221;
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-28258 size-medium" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Paul-Knoll-and-siblings-300x225.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Paul-Knoll-and-siblings-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Paul-Knoll-and-siblings-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Paul-Knoll-and-siblings-880x660.jpeg 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Paul-Knoll-and-siblings.jpeg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
In June of last year, Paul traveled to Montreal to meet his brother and sisters. They spent a few days together learning about their lives and adding to their family story. He brought his siblings t-shirts that read, &#8220;Someone in Omaha Loves You.&#8221;
Paul was struck by how much in common they had with each other, from their looks to their mannerisms. Paul, it turned out, was the oldest. He was born before Pierre married his half-siblings&#8217; mother, who is also still alive. And a little after their gathering in Montreal, Paul, and his siblings learned that there was one other half-sister out there. There was another child born to unmarried parents and put up for adoption. Paul is the oldest, then the other half-sister who&#8217;d also been adopted, and then their six other siblings.
Paul has yet to meet his father.
&#8220;Pierre is in excellent health,&#8221; Paul said. &#8220;He knows about me but hasn&#8217;t hasn&#8217;t had the opportunity to meet yet as he lives in New Brunswick (Canada.)”
He&#8217;d like to meet him. He&#8217;d like to find out more about his birth mother and what happened to her.
But for now, he feels blessed by meeting his sisters and brother. A true friendship has grown between them. Their accomplishments humble him; one is the dean of a university, the husband of one of his sisters is a Parkinson&#8217;s disease researcher, another is a wilderness guide.
His family now sprawl across Canada and the United States. They&#8217;ve all agreed to meet again when it becomes possible. Maybe he will get to meet his birth father. Perhaps he&#8217;ll find out more about his birth mother. But, for now, Paul has what he needs.
&#8220;Meeting them all is good enough for me,&#8221; Paul said.

Connecting with Family Across Borders

(Editor&#8217;s note 5/: Although 23andMe researchers continue to work on the COVID-19 study we are no longer recruiting new customers as study participants. Existing 23andMe customers can still complete the survey and can contribute to the study <a href="https://you.23andme.com/research/surveys/covid_19_baseline/">here.)</a> 

Encouraged by strong interest, 23andMe is expanding its COVID-19 genetics study and opening enrollment to people who have been hospitalized with severe cases of the virus but are not currently 23andMe customers.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-28267 size-larger" src="http://35.88.189.111/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/FB-Twitter-1200x628-1-880x461.png" alt="" width="880" height="461" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/FB-Twitter-1200x628-1-880x461.png 880w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/FB-Twitter-1200x628-1-300x157.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/FB-Twitter-1200x628-1-1024x536.png 1024w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/FB-Twitter-1200x628-1-768x402.png 768w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/FB-Twitter-1200x628-1-1180x618.png 1180w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/FB-Twitter-1200x628-1.png 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 880px) 100vw, 880px" />
Launched on April 6th to existing 23andMe customers who have consented for research,<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/covid-19-genetic-study/"> the study</a> aims to enlist hundreds of thousands of individuals to determine if there are genetic factors associated with why the virus hits some people so much harder than others. Beginning today, anyone who is eligible will be able to <a href="http://you.23andme.com/covid19-study">enroll in the study</a>, which is no longer limited to just 23andMe customers.

<h6>Hundreds of Thousands of Participants</h6>
23andMe has already enrolled more than half a million participants in its COVID-19 study, including more than 7,000 who&#8217;ve been diagnosed with the virus. We hope to continue to add more as we gradually reach out to our millions of customers. We are now expanding the study to up to 10,000 individuals who have been hospitalized with severe cases of COVID-19 but are not currently 23andMe customers. Individuals who qualify for the study and are willing to participate in online surveys will receive the <a href="https://www.23andme.com/dna-health-ancestry/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">23andMe Health + Ancestry Service</a> at no cost. (Learn more about the study and eligibility <a href="http://you.23andme.com/covid19-study">here</a>.)
“Opening up the research to individuals with more severe symptoms will increase our power to learn how genes play a role in the severity of this disease,” said Joyce Tung, Ph.D., 23andMe’s Vice President of Research.
In addition, 23andMe is encouraging hospitals and healthcare systems that are interested in collaborating on this research to reach out to us at <a href="mailto:apply.research@23andme.com">apply.research@23andme.com</a>.
<h6>23andMe&#8217;s Unique Research Model</h6>
Our research platform allows 23andMe to not only reach out to current customers, but also quickly recruit and genotype new research participants. We can then survey those participants, and conduct genetic studies at a massive scale.
There is still much scientists do not know about this virus. It is also possible that 23andMe will not find strong genetic associations for the differences in the severity of symptoms. But we know from research that<a href="https://blog.23andme.com/articles/genetics-and-covid-19-severity/"> genetics plays a role</a> in both susceptibility to and severity of other infectious diseases. For example, variants in the HBB gene influence an individual’s susceptibility to malaria.  Variants in the FUT2 gene confer some resistance to the norovirus. And variants in the HLA genes may explain the differences in the immune response to several different infections. In the case of COVID-19, there are several questions about whether genetics may explain the differences in immune response among patients. Our study could aid in assessing differences in risk among individuals. It could also guide efforts now underway to treat the disease caused by the virus.
<h6>Studying at Differences in Severity</h6>
Enrolling more individuals who have experienced severe COVID-19 symptoms in the study will enable 23andMe to investigate a spectrum of how people experience this disease. By studying those with severe symptoms versus patients with moderate or mild symptoms, 23andMe researchers will be in a better position to uncover potential genetic factors associated with the severity of the disease.
If we are successful in gathering enough data for this genome-wide association study, we plan to share the results of our research with the broader scientific community. We will also continue to consider the expansion of enrollment and eligibility requirements for the study.
If you or someone you know has been hospitalized for COVID-19 and is interested in participating in this research you can find out more <a href="http://you.23andme.com/covid19-study">here</a>.
<hr />
<h6>References:</h6>
1)<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22310894"> Chapman SJ et al. (2012). “Human genetic susceptibility to infectious disease.” Nat Rev Genet. 13(3):175-88.</a>
2) <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28928442">Tian C et al. (2017). “Genome-wide association and HLA region fine-mapping studies identify susceptibility loci for multiple common infections.” Nat Commun. 8(1):599.</a>

23andMe Expands its Genetic Study of COVID-19

Many people who carry a BRCA genetic variant associated with an increased risk for breast, ovarian, prostate, and certain other cancers do not have a strong family history of cancer, according to a new study from 23andMe. This means that these individuals would likely not qualify for clinical genetic testing unless they developed cancer themselves, representing a missed opportunity for cancer prevention.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/BRCA-wide-image-1-300x192.png" alt="" class="alignright wp-image-26127 size-medium" width="300" height="192" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/BRCA-wide-image-1-300x192.png 300w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/BRCA-wide-image-1.png 318w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
The study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-63466-x">Scientific Reports</a>, could help inform the on-going discussion around broader access to BRCA genetic testing.  
&#8220;Our study suggests that many individuals with a BRCA variant are likely being missed under current testing criteria,&#8221; said Ruth Tennen Ph.D., a 23andMe Product Scientist and a co-author of the study. 
<h6>Cancer History and Ashkenazi Ancestry </h6>
The study is consistent with findings from other researchers suggesting many individuals who carry BRCA risk variants slip through the cracks in current testing. A recent study by <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2703131">researchers at Geisinger</a> reported that more than 80 percent of people with a BRCA variant did not know they have one.
Current clinical criteria for BRCA genetic testing include having a personal or <a href="https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/document/RecommendationStatementFinal/brca-related-cancer-risk-assessment-genetic-counseling-and-genetic-testing">family history of cancer</a>. Having Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry is also taken into consideration. 
But the 23andMe study found that a significant number of individuals with one of three BRCA risk variants common among Ashkenazi Jews have no known first-degree family history of a BRCA-related cancer or no known Jewish ancestry. 
About 44 percent of individuals who provided both ancestry and family health history information had no first-degree relative with a BRCA-related cancer, the study found. The researchers also found that 21 percent of individuals who had one of the three Ashkenazi Jewish BRCA1 or BRCA2 founder variants did not report having Jewish ancestry. But of those individuals, more than half did have detectable Ashkenazi Jewish genetic ancestry. In the absence of a personal history of cancer, these individuals would have been unlikely to qualify for clinical genetic testing, and would have been left unaware of their risk. 
<h6>23andMe Study Details</h6>
The study included data from more than 2,800 23andMe customers who consented to participate in research. All of those individuals carry one or more of the three genetic variants in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes included in 23andMe&#8217;s BRCA1/BRCA2 (Selected Variants) Genetic Health Risk report* that are associated with an increased risk for breast, ovarian, prostate, and certain other cancers. 
While these three variants are most commonly found in people of Ashkenazi ancestry, they confer significant risk no matter a person&#8217;s ancestry. The prevalence of these three variants is about 1 in 40 in people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. In the general population, about 1 in 300 to 1 in 800 individuals has a BRCA variant, although typically not one of the three variants included in 23andMe&#8217;s report. Women with a BRCA variant have a 45-85 percent chance of developing breast cancer and up to a 46 percent chance of developing ovarian cancer by age 70. Men with a BRCA variant have an increased risk for male breast cancer and may have an increased risk for prostate cancer. Having one of these variants may also increase the risk for pancreatic cancer and melanoma.
<h6>23andMe&#8217;s Genetic Health Risk Report</h6>
<div id="attachment_26897" style="width: 272px" class="wp-caption alignright"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-26897" src="https://blog-api.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Speak-BRCA-262x300.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-26897 size-medium" width="262" height="300" srcset="https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Speak-BRCA-262x300.jpg 262w, https://blogcms.23andme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Speak-BRCA.jpg 376w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 262px) 100vw, 262px" />You can learn more about BRCA <a href="https://www.23andme.com/brca/">here</a>.</div>
It&#8217;s important to understand that 23andMe&#8217;s BRCA1/BRCA2 (Selected Variants) Genetic Health Risk <a href="https://www.23andme.com/test-info/genetic-health/">report</a>* looks at just three genetic variants associated with increased risk for breast, ovarian, prostate, and certain other cancers. 23andMe is still the only company <a href="https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm599560.htm">with FDA authorization</a> to offer direct-to-consumer genetic health risk reports for cancer predisposition. The report is by no means a comprehensive screen, nor is it meant to be diagnostic. There are more than 1,000 other BRCA variants associated with increased cancer risk.
This study focused on just the three variants 23andMe tests for because they have been analytically validated on the most recent versions of 23andMe&#8217;s genotyping chip. For these three risk variants, 23andMe has demonstrated a greater than 99 percent accuracy and reproducibility in testing. 
Several years ago, 23andMe conducted a smaller study looking at the response to <a href="https://peerj.com/articles/8/">unexpected BRCA</a> findings. That study found that those who learned they carried a risk variant generally took appropriate actions, talking to their doctors and sharing their results with family members, creating what the study called a &#8220;cascade effect&#8221; that benefited relatives who might not know of the family risk for these hereditary cancers.
The 23andMe study published this week may help inform discussions about broader access to BRCA<a href="https://www.23andme.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> genetic testing</a>. 
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*The 23andMe PGS test uses qualitative genotyping to detect select clinically relevant variants in the genomic DNA of adults from saliva for the purpose of reporting and interpreting genetic health risks, including the 23andMe PGS Genetic Health Risk Report for BRCA1/BRCA2 (Selected Variants). Your ethnicity may affect the relevance of each report and how your genetic health risk results are interpreted. The test is not intended to diagnose any disease and does not describe a person&#8217;s overall risk of developing any type of cancer. It is not intended to tell you anything about your current state of health, or to be used to make medical decisions, including whether or not you should take a medication, how much of a medication you should take, or determine any treatments. Warnings &amp; Limitations: The 23andMe PGS Genetic Health RIsk Report for BRCA1/BRCA2 (Selected Variants) is indicated for reporting of the 185delAG and 5382insC variants in the BRCA1 gene and the 6174delT variant in the BRCA2 gene. The report describes if a woman is at increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, and if a man is at increased risk of developing breast cancer or may be at increased risk of developing prostate cancer. The three variants included in this report are most common in people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent and do not represent the majority of BRCA1/BRCA2 variants in the general population. This report does not include variants in other genes linked to hereditary cancers and the absence of variants included in this report does not rule out the presence of other genetic variants that may impact cancer risk. The PGS test is not a substitute for visits to a healthcare professional for recommended screenings or appropriate follow-up. Results should be confirmed in a clinical setting before taking any medical action. 
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