India, Sept. 18 -- Novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has the potential to change our genetic makeup

Adhering to physical distancing norms, wearing a mask and consuming home-cooked meals may be the least of our worries when it comes to keeping the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 at bay. With history as our guide, the COVID-19 pandemic may lead to long-term changes in our genetic makeup.

Each human being has 20,000-25,000 genes that constantly adapt to the changing environment. When humans migrated out of Africa, these genes changed constantly to ensure that they survived.

New diseases caused by unknown pathogens helped strengthen the immune system. These beneficial genes passed on to the modern human beings, though variations were present depen...