The new coronavirus is the epicenter of our life right now. Therefore, all kinds of scientific studies are being carried out around the world to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. From vaccine testing to drug trials, and even understanding what a healthy immune response to COVID-19 might look like. Now, in a study that has not yet been peer-reviewed – it’s on the M edRxiv prepress server – a team of Chinese scientists claim that people with type A blood may be more vulnerable to the coronavirus, compared to the rest of the population. blood groups.
The experiment consisted of 2,173 patients in China who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 from three different hospitals: two in Wuhan, where the virus originated, and one in Shenzhen. The researchers looked at the blood group distribution of these patients and compared it to a group of healthy people from the same regions.
“Meta-analyzes of the pooled data showed that blood group A had a significantly higher risk of COVID-19 compared to non-A blood groups. Furthermore, blood group O had a significantly lower risk for infectious disease compared to non-O blood groups, “the authors wrote. The findings applied to all genders and age groups.
The preliminary study also included 206 patients who had died in Wuhan. Of these, 85 had type A blood, the equivalent of 41% of all deaths.
The study authors note that their initial findings are consistent with previous studies. The ABO blood group systems in Hong Kong also reportedly differentiated susceptibility to SARS-CoV infection, which originated in 2002 . In concluding their study at that time, the authors suggested that “SARS-CoV-2 infected patients with blood group A may need more severe surveillance and aggressive treatment.”
People with the virus, by comparison, were distributed as follows: 38% type A, 26% type B, 10% type AB, and 25% type O. Similar differences were seen in Shenzhen.
Can we trust these results?
The study also clearly states that although the results were significant, this is preliminary work. In addition, although he discovered this association, he did not explore its causality, so the experts warn that we should not worry about whether we have blood group A. We must take them as preliminary results that need further investigation. Of course, although it is a first study with a limited sample , it does justify the need for further research and could have important clinical implications given the current crisis we are experiencing around the world.
This controversial correlation has yet to be analyzed by other peer review scholars, as we have anticipated, and researchers cannot explain why infection varies by blood type. The study authors are not sure, but they suggest it may have to do with the anti-A antibodies that type B and type O have. But it is a hypothesis. Until we find out more, this is only preliminary information.
Sakthi Vaiyapuri, professor of poisons and cardiovascular pharmacology at the University of Reading, who was not involved in the study, opines that “There is little evidence to support any claim that there is more than a coincident correlation between ABO blood group and susceptibility of contracting COVID-19. There are too many parameters that call into question the credibility of their claims, worse still not mentioned in a pre-printed non-peer-reviewed study. Without establishing causal links between the Corona virus and ABO blood group antigens, it is difficult to understand this conclusion , which could be purely coincidental . Importantly, people should not be frightened by these results, as more scientific research is clearly required to substantiate these claims. “
That said, if you are type A there is no need to panic because it does not mean that you will end up infected . Likewise, if your blood type is O, it doesn’t mean you’re totally safe either. We must all follow the guidelines established by the World Health Organization that require social distancing and rigorous hand washing.
Referencia: Relationship between the ABO Blood Group and the COVID-19 Susceptibility Jiao Zhao, Yan Yang, Han-Ping Huang, Dong Li, Dong-Feng Gu, Xiang-Feng Lu, Zheng Zhang, Lei Liu, Ting Liu, Yu-Kun Liu, Yun-Jiao He, Bin Sun, Mei-Lan Wei, Guang-Yu Yang, Xinghuan Wang, Li Zhang, Xiao-Yang Zhou, Ming-Zhao Xing, Peng George Wang MERDRXIV 2020 doi: https://doi.org /10.1101/2020.03.11.20031096
