Critical illness in COVID-19 is an extreme and clinically homogeneous disease phenotype that we have previously shown1 to be highly efficient for discovery of genetic associations2. Despite the advanced stage of illness at presentation, we have shown that host genetics in patients who are critically ill with COVID-19 can identify immunomodulatory therapies with strong beneficial effects in this group3. Here we analyse 24,202 cases of COVID-19 with critical illness comprising a combination of microarray genotype and whole-genome sequencing data from cases of critical illness in the international GenOMICC (11,440 cases) study, combined with other studies recruiting hospitalized patients with a strong focus on severe and critical disease: ISARIC4C (676 cases) and the SCOURGE consortium (5,934 cases). To put these results in the context of existing work, we conduct a meta-analysis of the new GenOMICC genome-wide association study (GWAS) results with previously published data. We find 49 genome-wide significant associations, of which 16 have not been reported previously. To investigate the therapeutic implications of these findings, we infer the structural consequences of protein-coding variants, and combine our GWAS results with gene expression data using a monocyte transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) model, as well as gene and protein expression using Mendelian randomization. We identify potentially druggable targets in multiple systems, including inflammatory signalling (JAK1), monocyte–macrophage activation and endothelial permeability (PDE4A), immunometabolism (SLC2A5 and AK5), and host factors required for viral entry and replication (TMPRSS2 and RAB2A).

We updated a previous database that compiled all the information available in 2010 for the species distribution of spiders (Araneae) in the Iberian Peninsula, Balearic Islands (Illes Balears) included. By the end of 2018 a total of 30834 records were compiled. These belong to 1493 species, 282 of those endemic to the peninsula, across 56 families and 402 genera. This represents an increase of approximately 14% in the number of species in the last nine years. From all families found in the Iberian Peninsula, Araneidae represent the highest number of records (3315), Linyphiidae the highest species richness (302) and Dysderidae the highest endemic richness (58). When considering only the 2010 decade, Linyphiidae lead in both number of records (1417) and species (49), but Gnaphosidae have the highest newly described endemic richness (18). When looking at the full data per province, the largest number of records are located in Illes Balears (1864), followed by Barcelona (1287). When it comes to species, Huesca (474) and Barcelona (470) are the richest provinces. However, it is Illes Balears that possesses the largest known endemic richness (43), followed by Beja and Faro (39). Regarding the last decade, Illes Balears received the largest sampling effort with 901 records, followed by Girona (806). Ciudad Real had the highest increase in known richness with 191 new species to the province, followed by León and Lleida (188). The most new endemic species were found in Faro (16), followed by Almería and Cádiz (13). This checklist is accompanied by an online catalogue where all its information is fully listed.

We compiled all the available information regarding spider species distribution in the Iberian Peninsula (including the Balearic Islands). At present, 1335 species are known from the region, of which 236 are Iberian endemics, in 373 genera and 55 families. Portugal presents 768 species and Spain (including Andorra and Gibraltar), 1213 species. Although the work developed during recent decades has allowed a major increase in our knowledge of this group, there are certainly many species yet to be found and, for those already listed, the distribution is largely unknown. Although linyphiids present the highest number of known species (267), dysderids present the highest endemic richness (46 species). Information regarding the provinces from where each species was referenced is also presented and reveals large differences in the knowledge about each province, with most presenting very few known records and species. This checklist is accompanied by an online catalogue where all the information here presented is exhaustively listed and regularly updated.

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