Protocol to search for genetic factors related to severe COVID-19 by analyzing publicly available genome-wide association studies.

COVID-19 casualties vary among different ancestral groups due to a variety of factors. Here, we present a protocol for analyzing publicly available genome-wide association studies (GWASs) to search for ancestry-specific genetic factors related to severe COVID-19. We describe steps for downloading and comparing two COVID-19 GWASs, calculating expression quantitative trait loci, and single-cell gene expression analysis. We demonstrate this approach using GWASs from Host Genetics Initiative; however, it is applicable to other databases such as the UK Biobank. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Cheng et al..