Covid & blood type, another risk.

[kadee79]

Since I'm A-...just another risk for me.

If there’s one thing we want to know about COVID-19, it’s probably this: What’s my risk of getting it?

Researchers have identified certain things that make some people more vulnerable than others. Men are at greater risk than women. Older people are at greater risk than younger people. Those with chronic health problems like Type 2 diabetes, obesity and serious heart conditions are faring worse than those without them. Black and Latino Americans are at greater risk than Asian Americans and whites.

Now there’s evidence that blood type could be a risk factor too.

A handful of studies have suggested that people with some blood types are more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19, while those with other blood types are less likely to require that level of care. The most recent evidence was published last month in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Here’s a look at what scientists have learned about blood type and its role in the COVID-19 pandemic.

www.msn.com/en-us/health/health-news/covid-19-and-blood-type-whats-the-link/ar-BB16xkoL?li=BBnb7Kz

[Ryan]

I'm blood type B, so I guess I'm even-steven.  Not sure about my kids though.  

[kadee79]

My DH is O, but he has 4 other risks to be aware of...diabetes, heart, age, male.

[Lizard Queen]

I'm A+. I'd heard about this months ago from the Chinese research, but had hoped it was overstated. I don't know what my husband and kids are.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Both TD and I are O.  

It is an interesting study that they did, and the data seems consistent enough across multiple studies that it doesn’t seem like it is an artifact, and it does not appear nationality/race dependent.  

I will have to go looking for some hypotheses as to why.

[pulmonarymd]

Jul 11, 2020 12:30:01 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Both TD and I are O.  

It is an interesting study that they did, and the data seems consistent enough across multiple studies that it doesn’t seem like it is an artifact, and it does not appear nationality/race dependent.  

I will have to go looking for some hypotheses as to why.

My suspicion has to do with interaction with a protein on the virus with the ABO proteins and causes an enhanced immune response or a better entry into cells allowing for a more severe infection. But I agre, it has been a consistent finding, and understanding it may enhance our knowledge of infectious disease and immunology

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Jul 11, 2020 12:39:24 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

Jul 11, 2020 12:30:01 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Both TD and I are O.  

It is an interesting study that they did, and the data seems consistent enough across multiple studies that it doesn’t seem like it is an artifact, and it does not appear nationality/race dependent.  

I will have to go looking for some hypotheses as to why.

My suspicion has to do with interaction with a protein on the virus with the ABO proteins and causes an enhanced immune response or a better entry into cells allowing for a more severe infection. But I agre, it has been a consistent finding, and understanding it may enhance our knowledge of infectious disease and immunology

My brain keeps going back to non specific immunity being the reason why there is such a variation of response to the virus.  

While we know lots about B and T cells, antibodies, etc. there is another whole layer of immune responses that we have that we have really only started looking at it in the last 20 years or so.  

This would also explain the antibody response seen.  

[Tiny]

There was a sentence or two about how having Neanderthal ?genes?/?DNA?  possibly increased your risk for a severe covid 19 experience in a NEw York Times article.    It seems those of Banglideshi ethnic backgrounds are having worse outcomes than expected  and the prevalence of those pesky Neanderthal dna bits MIGHT be part of the cause. 

It seems some groups of Europeans also have a high ratio of Neanderthal dna (hi!  I have Neanderthal dna (according to 23 and me).  My name Neanderthal nickname is Oooca. ) 

It's still all up in the air about this stuff... but it sure is interesting. 


  

[pulmonarymd]

Jul 11, 2020 12:45:24 GMT -5 The Walk of the Penguin Mich said:

Jul 11, 2020 12:39:24 GMT -5 pulmonarymd said:

My suspicion has to do with interaction with a protein on the virus with the ABO proteins and causes an enhanced immune response or a better entry into cells allowing for a more severe infection. But I agre, it has been a consistent finding, and understanding it may enhance our knowledge of infectious disease and immunology

My brain keeps going back to non specific immunity being the reason why there is such a variation of response to the virus.  

While we know lots about B and T cells, antibodies, etc. there is another whole layer of immune responses that we have that we have really only started looking at it in the last 20 years or so.  

This would also explain the antibody response seen.  

There is a whole amplification response to infection, sort of an "oh shit, this is bad, we need reinforcements" reaction. It needs to be turned on at the right time to prevent cardiovascular collapse and death, then down regulated to prevent some of the organ failure we see with sepsis. I have always thought that an over exuberant immune response can be as devastating as an underwhelming immune response. How that factors into the severity of illness we see with covid will be fascinating, and may also play a role in the ABO data we are seeing. Who knows, but it is "fun" to speculate about this stuff.

[Lizard Queen]

medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-complications-covid-von-willebrand-factor.html

[Spellbound454]

Europeans also have a high ratio of Neanderthal

Apparently we have quite a high level of Neanderthal in the British Isles..........especially if you have ginger hair.

but I'm sure its just a vicious rumour.

[andi9899]

Jul 9, 2020 14:00:06 GMT -5 Ryan said:

I'm blood type B, so I guess I'm even-steven.  Not sure about my kids though.  

Same.

[Tiny]

Jul 16, 2020 17:26:25 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-complications-covid-von-willebrand-factor.html

Anna Aksenova, a senior research associate at the Laboratory of Amyloid Biology at St Petersburg University, has advanced a hypothesis that the severe course of COVID-19 may be associated with the von Willebrand factor, one of the main components of the blood coagulation system.

This is an interesting article and seems to "compliment" the  blood type observations.  

It almost sounds like COVID19 doesn't specifically launch a respiratory attack or specifically attack one's lungs/respiratory system.  

[pulmonarymd]

Jul 16, 2020 19:41:52 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Jul 16, 2020 17:26:25 GMT -5 Lizard Queen said:

medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-complications-covid-von-willebrand-factor.html

Anna Aksenova, a senior research associate at the Laboratory of Amyloid Biology at St Petersburg University, has advanced a hypothesis that the severe course of COVID-19 may be associated with the von Willebrand factor, one of the main components of the blood coagulation system.

This is an interesting article and seems to "compliment" the  blood type observations.  

It almost sounds like COVID19 doesn't specifically launch a respiratory attack or specifically attack one's lungs/respiratory system.  

Yeah, don’t buy it. The main symptom in most patients is shortness of breath, and their ct scans look awful, even in some who aren’t that sick. These other manifestations are less common. Hard to imagine how VWF figures into the pulmonary findings. It may have something to do with the clotting issues though

[thyme4change]

My husband, who is overweight and has allergy and breathing problems (although they are more sinus related than lung related) is very worried about CV, but his blood type is O. I have not been overly worried. I am over 50, but normal weight and no other medical condition that has been connected with CV risk, but have blood type A. I guess that might even us out. My daughter has A, also but not sure what my son's blood type is. He is 16 now - I should make him go give blood.

[swamp]

I'm type A blood and chunky with some mild asthma.

Im fucked. 

[anciana]

There's more new studies coming out:

Does Blood Type Affect Your Risk Of Coronavirus? Probably Not, New Studies Say

Early in the Covid-19 pandemic, researchers found preliminary evidence suggesting that people’s blood type might be an important risk factor — both for being infected by the virus and for falling dangerously ill.
But over the past few months, after looking at thousands of additional patients with Covid-19, scientists are reporting a much weaker link to blood type.



Two studies — one at the Massachusetts General Hospital and the other at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York — did not find that Type A blood increases the odds that people will be infected with Covid-19.

The new reports do find evidence that people with Type O blood may be slightly less likely to be infected. But the effect is so small that people shouldn’t count on it. “No one should think they’re protected,” said Nicholas Tatonetti, a data scientist at Columbia University

[thyme4change]

Jul 17, 2020 12:04:29 GMT -5 swamp said:

I'm type A blood and chunky with some mild asthma.

Im fucked. 

😟

Wash your hands.