A statistically significant difference was found among the three infection history groups (Group 1: experience of COVID-19 related death of a person close to them; Group 2: positive infection history but no experience of COVID-19 related death; Group 3: negative infection history and no experience of COVID-19 related death) on the combined dependent variables (DASS subscales, PHQ, GAD and PSS) after controlling for age, sex and racial/ethnic group, F(12,1796) = 5.27, p < .001, Pillai’s Trace = .068, partial η2 = .034. The gene discussed is GAD1; the disease is COVID-19.