Question

ABO typing is determined by antigens located at the surface of RBCs membrane. These antigens are carbohydrates (sugars) in their structures. Different studies were reported the association between blood type and the tendency to be affected with Covid 19 (or at least the severity of symptoms in Covid positive patients vary according to their blood type).

On the other hand, blood type of person from which you get the virus plays a role in the aggressiveness of disease (this means that, if a patient with A blood type transmits the virus to type O person, the aggressiveness will not be the same as if the person getting the virus is also type A).

Discuss these aspects Fully??

Answer 1

The membrane of each red blood cell contains millions of antigens that are ignored by the immune system. However, when patients receive blood transfusions, their immune systems will attack any donor red blood cells that contain antigens that differ from their self-antigens. Therefore, ensuring that the antigens of transfused red blood cells match those of the patient's red blood cells is essential for a safe blood transfusion.

Blood group antigens are either sugars or proteins, and they are attached to various components in the red blood cell membrane.

Association between blood type and the tendency to be affected with Covid 19 :

Blood group A was associated with a higher risk for acquiring COVID-19 compared with non-A blood groups, whereas blood group O was associated with a lower risk for the infection compared with non-O blood groups.

People with blood type O may have a lower risk of infection from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, that causes COVID-19, and reduced likelihood of severe outcomes, including organ complications, if they develop the disease.

people with blood types A, B, or AB may be more likely to be infected with COVID-19 than people with type O.

No significant difference in rate of infection between A, B, and AB types is found.

The researchers also found more patients with blood group A and AB required dialysis for kidney failure.

patients in these two blood groups may have an increased risk of organ dysfunction or failure due to COVID-19 than people with blood types O or B.

While people with blood types A and AB did not have longer overall hospital stays than those with types O or B, they did remain in the intensive care unit (ICU) for a longer average time, which may also signal a greater COVID-19 severity level.

Blood type of the person from where you get the disease play an important role:

type A blood had a higher chance of developing severe respiratory failure than people with type O blood,type O blood is somehow protective against the disease, while type A may make people more vulnerable.

Blood type is determined by specific sugar molecules that are added to proteins or lipids on our blood cells and other cell types. People with type A blood carry so-called A sugar antigens, those in people with type B blood have B antigens, and people with type O blood have neither. Correspondingly, the immune systems of people with type A blood develop antibodies for B antigens, people with type B blood have antibodies for A antigens, and people with type O blood have antibodies for both.

The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, which is a key molecule the virus uses to infect cells, is also heavily glycosylated .The spike protein has got tons of sugars on it, and the virus is borrowing the host enzymes to put those sugars together. Research on SARS-CoV-1 suggested that the spike protein of virus particles often carry the blood group sugar antigen of the infected host cell that produces the pathogen.

SARS-CoV-2 can replicate in cells that express blood type antigens, So when an infected person coughs or sneezes, they possibly release viral particles coated in their blood type antigens. That means if a person with type A blood transmits the virus to a person with type O blood, the type O person will have antibodies that can fight the virus. However, if the person inhaling the particles is also type A, they won’t have those antibodies.