COVID-19 and blood type: what is the link?

If you have one thing to know COVID-19 (new coronavirus infectious disease) (# If there is no character limit, add parentheses when first appearing, It’s probably this: what is my risk of getting it?

Researchers have identified certain things that make some people more vulnerable than others. Higher risk for men Than women. Older people are at higher risk Than young people. some stuff Chronic health problems Like Type 2 diabetes, obesity and serious heart conditions are worse than those without diabetes. Black and Latin American Higher risk than Asian Americans and whites.

Currently, there is evidence that blood type may also be a risk factor.

Some studies suggest that some blood groups are more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 and others are less likely to need that level of care. .. of Latest evidence It was published in the New England Medical Journal last month.

Here we will look at what scientists have learned about blood groups and their role in the COVID-19 pandemic.

How many blood types do you have?

8. Determined by part (or absence) of your existence A and B antigens To your red blood cells. If there is only A antigen, the blood type is A. If there is only B antigen, the blood type is B. If both are present, blood type is AB; if not, blood type is O.

In addition, red blood cells Rh factor.. If there is, it is Rh positive. Otherwise you are Rh negative.

The combination of the A and B antigens with the Rh factor produces eight major blood groups: A positive, A negative, B positive, B negative, AB positive, AB negative, O positive, and O negative.

What does the New England Journal of Medicine study say about blood groups?

The researchers analyzed the genetic data of more than 1,600 patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 cases in Italy and Spain and compared them to about 2,200 other disease-free patients. After making adjustments to account for the effects of age and sex on COVID-19 risk, the researchers Significant differences in blood type Of sick patients compared to controls.

In this population, the presence of type A blood increased the risk of COVID-19 illness by 45%. On the other hand, having type O blood was associated with a 35% lower risk of disease. These relationships sought to determine if Italian and Spanish patients were analyzed separately or together.

Other blood groups were not associated with higher or lower risk of disease. In addition, blood type did not seem to be associated with the risk of being needed Put on a ventilator..

The study design could not allow researchers to determine whether the blood group was associated with the risk of coronavirus infection or, if infected, the risk of becoming severe.

“We hope these and other future findings will pave the way for a more complete understanding of COVID-19 biology.” Dr. Francis Collins, Geneticist, director of the National Institutes of Health, Wrote on his blog.. “They also suggest that genetic testing and a person’s blood group may provide useful tools for identifying those who may be at higher risk for serious illness.”

How does it match other studies?

At least two other groups investigated the association between blood group and COVID-19 risk and found similar results.

That first ink ring Blood type may be linked to disease risk It came in March from a Chinese researcher who compared 2,173 COVID-19 patients from three hospitals in Wuhan and Shenzhen with more than 27,000 “normal people”. They found that people with type A blood were at a 21% higher risk of illness than people with other blood types, and people with type O blood were at a 33% lower risk.

The following month, a team at Columbia University examined 1,559 people in the New York City area who were tested for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. They found that type A blood was 34% more likely to test positive, and type O blood was 20% less likely to test positive. In addition, people with type AB blood were 44% less likely to be positive, but of 682 coronavirus-positive, only 21 had type AB blood.

Colombian researchers Their discovery The risk associated with blood types A and O was consistent with the Chinese results, even though the blood group distributions were significantly different among the New York, Wuhan, and Shenzhen populations.

Both of these reports MedRxiv websiteResearchers share preliminary data before undergoing peer review.

Why is blood type related to COVID-19?

It’s not clear. Perhaps different combinations of A and B antigens alter the production of protective antibodies by the immune system or lead to other unknown biological effects, the authors of the New England Journal of Medicine study wrote.

Another possibility is that blood group-related genes also affect the ACE2 receptor in human cells, Coronavirus seeks Latching, they wrote.

How can I check my blood type?

If it has been tested in the past, your doctor may have it in the file.

If not, Test at home Includes kit including Eldoncard. The kit requires a finger prick to take a small blood sample and then mix it with the antibodies against the A and B antigens that came with the card. If red blood cells contain A or B antigens, they will react with the antibody and agglutinate into the card.

If you only see a reaction to the A antibody, your blood group is A. Same for B antibody. If there is a response to both, the blood type is AB, if there is no response, the blood type is O.

The additional circles on the card contain antibodies to a protein called the Rh factor. The reaction there indicates that you are Rh positive. If nothing happens, it is Rh negative.

If it sounds like too many problems, Donate blood.. When you go to the Red Cross, you will receive a donor card showing your blood type.

Regardless of blood type, everyone should always be as careful as possible. (It also applies to people with type O blood.)

If you go outside or touch a high contact surface, wash hands At least 20 seconds. Wear a mask Leaving home, Keep at least 6 feet away Between yourself and others who are not members of your family. Do not touch the face The virus does not enter the body through the eyes, nose, or mouth. Also, clean doorknobs, faucets, phones, and other surfaces that you touch frequently every day.

For tips on how to stay safe, Follow this advice From Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.