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A friend pointed out that specific genetic variants in the immune system are prevalent in northeastern Italy and are likely to substantially increase susceptibility to the virus. New York's large Italian population is part of the problem. Same thing in South Florida.

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I find most Italian-Americans around here (NY/NJ) claim to be Sicilian or Neapolitan etc. That’s quite genetically distinct no?

Are native Americans and Canadians along the border genetically distinct? Same question, really.

Well after I wrote that I did some reading and it seems that Northern Italians have more Germanic (e.g. Lombard) ancestry while farther South you get Greek and even some Arab. From the fall of the Roman Empire to the reunification of Italy in the 19th century there was little movement or intermarriage between regions hence less gene flow.

I would expect American natives as tribal societies to be even more distinct though not likely along current borders.

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