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Now, a year after the start of the pandemic, most of us know that certain personal conditions or habits can affect our chances of catching coronavirus or developing severe COVID. But there is also growing research that certain genetic traits that are not always visible to the naked eye could also put you at a higher risk of contracting the disease. Now, a new study by scientists at Harvard Medical School and Emory University School of Medicine has found more evidence that the blood type may play a role in the likelihood of you catching COVID as a whole. Read on to see how what’s in your veins might increase your risk, and to find out more about what might increase your chances of getting sick, see If you’ve done this recently, you’re 70% more likely to get sick. COVID.
The coronavirus is more likely to attach to a specific type of type A blood cell.
The team of scientists from Harvard and Emory conducted a laboratory study to better understand how SARS-CoV-2 interacts with blood groups A, B and O. The researchers focused on the part of the virus known as receptor binding domain (RBD), which the pathogen uses to attach to cells once it enters the body.
The results, which were published in the journal Advances of blood, showed that the virus was more likely to attach to type A cells, especially the type of blood cells found lining the respiratory system. The virus showed no preference for cells of other blood groups or respiratory cells of blood groups B or O, as reported by Live Science.
The study’s authors believe their findings may help explain why some people are more susceptible to COVID. “Interestingly, viral RBD only really prefers the type of blood group A antigens that are found on respiratory cells, which is presumably how the virus enters and infects most patients,” ” Sean stowell, MD, one of the study’s authors from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said in a statement.
Unfortunately, this could be a COVID risk factor that cannot be controlled.
The study authors pointed out that unlike other potentially high-risk conditions, nothing can be done to reduce the risk created by our genetic makeup. “The blood type is a challenge because it’s inherited and not something we can change,” Stowell said. “But if we can better understand how the virus interacts with blood groups in people, we may be able to find new drugs or methods of prevention,” he added.
The study’s authors said the findings raised even more questions that merited further examination. “Does it really influence the ability of the virus to get into cells? Does it just influence its ability to adhere to cells? It’s unlimited,” Stowell said. “We’re working on this right now, but the jury is still out.” And to learn more about how you can help improve your odds, check out These 3 Vitamins Could Save You From Severe COVID, Study Finds.
Previous research has shown that people with type A blood are also more susceptible to severe cases of COVID.
Recent research is far from the only study looking at different blood groups and how they pose different risks for COVID. Other studies have recently shown that the blood group can affect sensitivity to COVID. In December, researchers from the GenOMICC Consortium, an international association of scientists studying links between serious diseases and genes, compared the genes of more than 2,000 COVID-19 patients in the UK to those of healthy people. health, The Washington Post reports.
Initial research by the same team, published in the journal Nature in October, found that people with type A blood were more likely to develop serious illness when infected with the novel coronavirus. “Blood group A was associated with a higher risk than non-A blood groups,” the authors wrote. And for more COVID information delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Type O blood has been linked to a reduced risk of COVID.
Conversely, a study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine in November found that your risk of catching COVID-19 is reduced if you have type O blood. Researchers behind the study at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Canada, examined the COVID-19 test results of 225,556 Canadians between January 15 and June 30. as to the likelihood that they will become seriously ill or die as a result. They found that people with type O blood were 12% less likely to contract COVID-19 and their risk of severe COVID-19 or death was 13% lower than those with blood groups A, AB or B. .
The four major blood groups – A, AB, B, and O – can also be Rh positive or Rh negative. When the researchers looked at this second classification, they found that those with Rh negative blood were also “somewhat protected” from the virus. “An Rh− status appeared to be protective against infection with SARS-CoV-2,” the study authors wrote. In addition, “Rh− had a [adjusted relative risk] serious illness or death related to COVID-19. “
And if you are O-negative, which is very rare, you can be even more protected against COVID. “The Rh− blood group was protective against SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially for those who were O-negative,” the authors wrote. According to Reuters, co-author of the study, Joel ray, MD, of St. Michael’s Hospital, suggested that people with these more resistant blood types may have already developed antibodies that can recognize certain aspects of COVID-19 and are therefore better prepared to fight it. And for more on how you could potentially protect yourself, check out This Common Drug Could Save You From Severe COVID, New Study Finds.
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