StemCell Therapy

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- An "O" blood type could provide some level of immunity against the coronavirus (COVID-19), according to a study by the genetic website 23andMe.

Preliminary information from more than 750,000 participants in the study suggests that the "O" blood type appears to be protective against the virus when compared to all other blood types, according to a blog on the genetic website.

Comparing the research participants who reported that they tested positive for COVID-19 to those who tested negative, our researchers identified a variant in the ABO gene associated with a lower risk, according to the genetic website.

People with that blood type could be 9-to-18% less likely to test positive for COVID-19, according to the genetic website.

Among healthcare workers and others repeatedly exposed to the virus, "O" blood type is similarly protective, but the proportion of cases within strata is higher, according to 23andMe.

Whether the "O" blood is positive or negative is not a significant factor in immunity or severity of illness for those who become infected, according to the genetic website.

The genetic website referenced some similar results from other studies in China, Italy and Spain.

Numerous other studies have reported that the ABO blood group plays a role in both susceptibility and severity for COVID-19 (refs: 1, 2, 3), the genetic website said. And we know from other studies that the ABO blood group can play a direct role in other types of infections by serving as receptors, or co-receptors for microorganisms, parasites, and viruses. The preliminary findings from 23andMes data are also notable because of the link between COVID-19 blood clotting, and cardiovascular disease.

Continued here:
Blood type might boost immunity to COVID-19, genetic website says - SILive.com

This entry was posted on June 13, 2020 at 12:45 pm and is filed under Genetics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |