{"id":2962,"date":"2021-06-14T11:30:05","date_gmt":"2021-06-14T10:30:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/biosciences\/?p=2962"},"modified":"2021-06-07T17:31:29","modified_gmt":"2021-06-07T16:31:29","slug":"covid-transmission-influenced-by-blood-transmission-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.kent.ac.uk\/biosciences\/2021\/06\/14\/covid-transmission-influenced-by-blood-transmission-rules\/","title":{"rendered":"Covid transmission influenced by blood transmission rules"},"content":{"rendered":"

Accumulated evidence worldwide shows that blood type affects the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with blood Type O being less susceptible and non-O blood types more susceptible. The results of a new data model by\u00a0<\/em>Dr Peter Ellis, Senior Lecturer in Molecular Genetics and Reproduction<\/em><\/a>\u00a0at the\u00a0<\/em>University of Kent\u2019s<\/em><\/a>\u00a0School of Biosciences reveals<\/em>\u00a0the most likely explanation is that SARS-CoV-2 infection behaves similarly to a blood transfusion. He said:<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2018Evidence globally suggests that blood Type O individuals are less likely to contract Covid than those with non-O blood types, however the magnitude of this difference varies substantially between regions. Using information from around the world, our latest data model indicates that SARS-CoV-2 infection behaves similarly to a blood transfusion, and that infected patients are 2-3 times more likely to pass the virus on to someone for whom they are a compatible blood donor.<\/p>\n

\u2018This explains why Type O people have a lower risk of infection. Just as they reject blood transfusions from non-O types, they may reject virus particles from a patient with non-O blood, thus escaping infection.<\/p>\n

\u2018However, individuals with Type O blood are universal donors that can give blood to anyone. Similarly once infected they are also able to infect others of any blood type. Conversely, those with Type A blood (the most common non-O type in the UK) are more likely to catch the virus and less likely to pass it on.<\/p>\n

\u2018These transmission effects also mean that differences in the frequency of blood types may partly explain variations in epidemic severity worldwide, as countries with a wider diversity of blood groups will present natural barriers to virus circulation.<\/p>\n

\u2018In the light of this, the University of Kent\u2019s School of Biosciences examined whether it would be useful to prioritise vaccination based on blood type. Crucially, they discovered that prioritising either more infectious (Type O) or more vulnerable (Type A) people reduces the overall efficacy of the campaign to reduce infections.<\/p>\n

\u2018Our conclusion is that prioritising any single blood type for vaccination is worse than choosing at random. The growing perception that \u201cType O means you\u2019re low risk\u201d is not a safe conclusion for the broad public. Being Type O may mean you\u2019re personally slightly safer, but you\u2019re more of a risk to other people whilst you remain unvaccinated.\u2019<\/p>\n

Dr Ellis\u2019s paper, \u2018Modelling suggests ABO histo-incompatibility may substantially reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission<\/a>\u2019 is published in the journal\u00a0Epidemics<\/em>.<\/p>\n

*Repurposed from the Kent News Centre<\/p>\n