Blood type and genes are linked with coronavirus infection, according to a European study. These factors can influence the severity of the disease.
The objective of the study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, is to determine reasons why Covid-19 hits some people harder than others.
The findings reveal people with type A blood carry a higher risk of developing worse symptoms after infection.
Researchers assessed the genes of more than 4,000 people to identify variations that were common in those who were deeply affected by the coronavirus.
According to the study, a cluster of variants in genes associated with immune responses was more common in Covid-19 patients with severe symptoms.
These genes have ties with a cell-surface protein called ACE2 that the coronavirus uses to enter and infect cells in the human body.
Led by scientists in Germany and Norway, the team discovered the risk of severe symptoms was 45% higher for people with type A blood than those with other blood types.
Meanwhile, it appeared to be 35% lower for people with type O. The researchers note their results reveal hints as to what disease processes may be going on. However, more research is required before the information becomes useful.
Emergence of symptoms
Another study published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine shows that people with coronavirus symptoms may only experience them five days after their exposure to the virus.
The study “The Incubation Period of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) From Publicly Reported Confirmed Cases: Estimation and Application” discovered that people would manifest coronavirus symptoms 5.1 days after their initial exposure. It was the median length as incubation periods vary. Some people show signs of illness within two weeks.
“Based on our analysis of publicly available data, the current recommendation of 14 days for active monitoring or quarantine is reasonable, although with that period some cases would be missed over the long term,” said Justin Lessler of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and senior author of the report.
The results did not touch on the extent to which people can spread the virus during the symptom-free period. However, preliminary evidence reveals there is a short window before infected individuals feel ill when they can transmit the virus to others.
Young people
Another segment of the public that needs to be careful is young people. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warns of coronavirus risk among young people.
The nation’s leading infectious disease expert emphasized that “more and more” complications with Covid-19 in young people are being recorded by doctors and infectious disease specialists.
During the initial period of the coronavirus outbreak, researchers pointed out that the coronavirus appeared to be not prevalent among young people while being particularly severe for the older adults and those with existing health conditions.
Dr. Fauci told a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing that it is not the case. “To think young people have no deleterious consequences is not true. We’re seeing more and more complications in young people.” He added that he has never learned of a single virus have such a wide range of symptoms.
