Muristek
London, March 4
Blood groups may play an instrumental role in whether people develop severe forms of Covid, according to a study that could pave the way for potential new targets to treat and prevent hospitalisation.
The study, published in the journal PLOS Genetics, analysed over 3,000 proteins to identify which are causally linked to the development of severe Covid. The researchers used a genetic tool to screen over 3,000 proteins. They identified six proteins that could underlie an increased risk of severe Covid and eight that could contribute to protection from severe disease. One of the proteins (ABO) that was identified as having a causal connection to the risk of developing severe Covid determines blood groups, suggesting blood groups play an instrumental role in whether people develop severe forms of the disease.
"We have used a purely genetic approach to investigate a large number of blood proteins and established that a handful have causal links to the development of severe Covid," said the study. —