Longevity logo

This Is How Blood Type Can Increase Travel Insurance Because of COVID

Learn how blood type matters regarding COVID infection by the new coronavirus because this may save you money on your next trip

By Rui AlvesPublished 3 years ago 7 min read
5
Artwork by Gerd Altmann on Pixabay

Science recently discovered how the new coronavirus has a taste for a specific blood type. This knowledge may help prevent COVID Infection or save you hundreds of dollars in travel insurance.

According to the U.S. Travel Insurance Association, before the pandemic outbreak, the average travel insurance policy would cost about 4% to 8% of the total trip. Recently, Reuters disclosed "how COVID-19 insurance policies are increasingly joining passports and sunscreen as vacation staples, as more countries require mandatory coverage in case visitors fall ill from the coronavirus."

As the rollout of vaccines slowly advances, many countries explore how certificates and biometric passports could help reopen economies by identifying those more protected against the virus. The new findings regarding the missing link between blood type and COVID infection can quickly raise ethical concerns and lead us into a downward spiral of segregation based on who has potentially better immunity against the virus.

The COVID-19 Vs. blood type enigma

This is how science is chasing the missing link between blood type and COVID-19 susceptibility and severity.

In the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak, doctors noticed an infection pattern: a high percentage of severe disease patients had type A blood.

Preliminary findings in China

In March 2020, a preliminary study showed that people with type A blood could be more vulnerable to being infected with coronavirus than other blood types. Researchers at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University examined blood group patterns of 2,173 people diagnosed with COVID-19.

The research, conducted from statistics of admissions of patients with the disease, was published on the scientific platform MedRxiv. Back then, the research still needed to be peer-reviewed. Although the researchers acknowledged that their findings were preliminary and required more in-depth studies, they urged governments and medical authorities to consider the different blood types when treating infected patients. Experts pointed out that more in-depth studies were required to substantiate the preliminary findings.

The Chinese researchers found that patients with type A blood had a “significantly higher” infection rate and appeared to develop more severe symptoms of the virus. Of all the blood types, type O seemed to have the lowest risk of infection. According to the study, 85 of the 206 patients who died from COVID-19 in Wuhan had type A blood, a rate 63 percent higher than type O.

The research found the same pattern in different age and gender groups. Thus, the study suggested that the higher susceptibility of people with type A blood could be linked to natural antibodies in the blood. Still, back then, more studies were needed to prove this association.

As a result of the research, the experts suggested that it may help if we adopt ABO blood type mapping in patients and medical teams as a routine part of managing SARS-CoV-2 and other coronavirus infections. These best practices could help define management options and assess people’s levels of risk exposure.

Follow-up research in Germany

Later on, at the end of the second wave of the pandemic, in June 2020, an analysis of the genome of more than 1,600 severely ill COVID-19 patients and 2,205 healthy people from Italy and Spain found blood type can determine the severity of the disease. The researchers discovered that those with a gene variant that codes for blood type A were 50 percent more likely to have the disease's necessary form and need oxygen support.

German researchers from the University of Kiel followed-up on the research mentioned above, trying to identify DNA traits in the human genome that could predispose people to complications caused by the new coronavirus. The results confirmed the preliminary findings, but researchers still couldn’t explain why this genetic variant that leads to type A blood makes someone more susceptible to coronavirus. But, they suspected it could be related to the immune system.

I have debated a similar correlation in this article regarding the impact of BCG vaccination in preventing severe cases of COVID-19. When faced with a threat such as an infection, an overreaction of the immune system can occur, causing a so-called “cytokine storm.” This uncontrolled reaction is one of the main reasons why severe disease patients require advanced life support.

However, the blood type conundrum lingered on, as they couldn’t trace back the connection, and again the enigma remained unclear to the researchers, who also asked for further research on this topic.

Inputs from Denmark and Canada

The findings of two articles, published on October 14 by the scientific journal Blood Advances, confirmed the hypotheses presented earlier. More evidence arose stating how blood type can increase a person’s risk for COVID-19 and severe illness from the disease. The findings showed how individuals from group O tend to be at lower risk, while others are potentially more exposed to severe clinical scenarios.

Scientists from the University Hospital of Odense, Denmark, conducted a retrospective study comparing the health records of more than 473,000 individual covid-19 tests with a control group of 2.2 million from the general population. Those with blood type O were about 13 percent less likely to test positive for covid-19 than those with blood type A, B, or AB. These results, however, did not imply a higher risk of hospitalization, the Danish authors emphasize.

Visual abstract from Blood Advances

In the second study, from the University of British Columbia in Canada, 95 severe covid-19 patients hospitalized in Vancouver were followed. Blood groups A and AB were more associated with a risk of acute disease progression, requiring more frequent assisted mechanical ventilation or dialysis for kidney failure. Besides, A and AB types tended to require more extended ICU stays than O or B blood types.

Visual abstract from Blood Advances

New hope from the U.S.

A joint team of experts led Sean Stowell, MD, Ph.D., from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, worked to identify risk factors for severe COVID-19. Their findings were published on March 3, 2021, in the journal Blood Advances, which now confirms that certain blood types may be associated with an increased risk of contracting the disease.

The research suggests that the new coronavirus is particularly ‘attracted’ to the blood group A found in respiratory cells. In the study, the researchers evaluated a protein on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus called the “receptor binding domain (RBD).” The RBD is the part of the virus that binds to host cells, making it a significant research target for understanding how infection occurs.

Visual abstract from Blood Advances

The team tested the blood groups on red blood cells and respiratory cells found in individuals of blood groups A, B, and O and analyzed how the virus RBD interacted with each blood type. The researchers found that the RBD had a strong preference’ to bind to the A blood group found in respiratory cells. However, Stowell and his team stressed that the findings alone could not fully describe or predict how the coronavirus may affect patients of various blood types.

While more research is needed to understand this influence, the article adds to the results of previous studies that suggest a possible link between blood type and COVID-19 susceptibility and severity.

Whatever the possible contribution of ABO(H) antigens to infection and possible disease progression, the ability of the SARS-CoV-2 to directly interact with the blood group A antigen uniquely expressed on respiratory epithelial cells provides clear evidence of a direct association between SARS-CoV-2 and the ABO(H) genetic locus.

Final Thoughts

The recent findings corroborate what science already knew. For instance, other viral infections, such as the Norwalk virus and hepatitis B, have an evident susceptibility to blood type, more prevalent in some groups than others. Previous research has also shown that individuals with type O blood are less likely to be infected with SARS, another type of disease caused by coronaviruses.

More than one year has passed since the pandemic outbreak, and COVID-19 stands defiant in the face-off against the brightest scientific minds worldwide. Nevertheless, we are closer to solving the blood type enigma even if we can’t change our blood type because it’s genetically inherited. “But if we can better understand how the virus interacts with blood groups in people, we may be able to find new medicines or methods of prevention.” That’s the message of hope in Dr. Sean Stowell’s words.

Having inherited blood type A from my parents, I take all the recommended preventive measures and can't wait to be vaccinated against COVID-19. I've written this article to raise awareness against discrimination of any kind in the path to resuming an ordinary life. I miss traveling and discovering new places and people; thus, I pray for a brighter future–a world inspired by John Lennon: "a world without greed or hunger. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday the world will live as one." Namaste 🙏

Disclaimer: This article is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It only depicts my personal experience and should not be considered Health or Financial Advice. It further expands my piece initially published here. Please report to your local health authority for accurate and official guidance. If you see content online that you believe to be false or misleading, you can report it to the hosting social media platform.

industry
5

About the Creator

Rui Alves

Hi, I'm Rui Alves, a teacher, army veteran & digital pathfinder. Author, alchemist of sound & Gen-AI artist.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.