Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Study links blood type to COVID-19 severity

Study links blood type to COVID-19 severity

A genetic analysis of patients with COVID-19 released Wednesday indicates that blood type could influence whether someone develops severe symptoms of the disease.
Scientists who compared the genes of thousands of patients in Europe found that those with type A blood were more likely to develop severe disease, while those with type O were less likely.

The report published in the New England Journal of Medicine does not prove that there is a connection to the blood group, but corroborates an earlier discovery in China, which is mentioned in the report.

Most of us dismissed at the beginning it because it was a very crude study, said Dr. Parameswaran Hari, a blood specialist at the Wisconsin School of Medicine. "Now I believe it ... it could be very important," he continued.

However, other scientists call for caution.

The evidence that blood group has a role is preliminary and not a sufficient signal to be sure, said Dr. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in San Diego.

The study, which involved scientists from Italy, Spain, Denmark, Germany, and other nations, compared about 2,000 patients with severe symptoms of COVID-19 to several thousand people who were healthy, developed mild symptoms of the disease, or were asymptomatic. The researchers linked variations in six genes to the likelihood of severe symptoms, including some that may have a role in people's vulnerability to the virus. They also linked blood types to possible risks.

Most genetic studies like this one are much larger, so it would be important to see, if other scientists can reproduce the same results in other patient groups, Topol noted.

Many researchers have searched for clues as to why some people who get the coronavirus become seriously ill and others less so. Being older or male appears to increase risk, and scientists have looked at genes as another possible factor influencing the severity of the disease.

There are four main blood groups: A, B, AB and O, and they are determined "by proteins on the surface of red blood cells," said Dr. Mary Horowitz, scientific director at the Center for International Blood Transplant Research and Marrow.

People with type O blood are better able to recognize certain proteins as foreign and that can extend to proteins on the virus's surface, Hari explained.

During the SARS outbreak, the severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by a genetic cousin of the coronavirus that caused the current pandemic, "people with type O blood were found to be less likely to develop severe symptoms," he added.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
×