Gene is one of the key factors to determine how much people suffer from Covid  

It's present in around 14% of the Polish population and 8 to 9% in Europe overall

The findings could help governments prioritise people for Covid vaccinations

Scientists have discovered a gene that more than doubles the risk of becoming severely ill with Covid. 

Researchers from the Medical University of Bialystok in Poland found that the gene is the fourth most important factor determining how seriously a person suffers from Covid, after age, weight and gender. 

The gene is located on chromosome 3, one of the 23 pairs of chromosomes in humans, and is present in around 14 per cent of the Polish population, compared to 8-9 per cent in Europe as a whole and 27 per cent in India, they say.