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Race may modify the association between blood type and COVID-19 infection
Jiajun Luo1,2,3, Andrew Craver2, Paul Zakin1,2
1Department of Public Health Sciences University of Chicago Chicago Illinois.
Insights
Blood type B may increase COVID-19 susceptibility across racial and ethnic groups compared to blood type O. This finding highlights potential disparities in disease risk based on blood type and race/ethnicity.
Area of Science:
- Medical research
- Epidemiology
- Genetics
Background:
- Blood type ABO system is a well-known genetic trait.
- Previous studies suggested potential associations between blood type and COVID-19.
- Understanding these associations across diverse populations is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between blood type and COVID-19 susceptibility.
- To investigate if this association differs by race and ethnicity.
- To provide race/ethnicity-specific risk estimates for COVID-19 based on blood type.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study using electronic health records from March 2020 to December 2021.
- Population stratified into non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and other groups.
- Log-binomial generalized mixed models used to calculate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).
Main Results:
- Blood type B showed an association with positive COVID-19 tests compared to blood type O in non-Hispanic Black individuals (RR=1.12, 95% CI: 1.02-1.23).
- Similar associations were observed in non-Hispanic White (RR=1.28, 95% CI: 0.99-1.66) and Hispanic individuals (RR=1.36, 95% CI: 0.97-1.92).
- The association between blood type B and COVID-19 susceptibility varied across different racial and ethnic groups.
Conclusions:
- Blood type B may be associated with increased COVID-19 susceptibility across multiple racial and ethnic groups.
- These findings underscore the importance of considering both blood type and race/ethnicity in COVID-19 risk assessment.
- Further research is warranted to elucidate the biological mechanisms underlying these observed associations.
Abstract:
This study aims to investigate the race/ethnicity-specific association between blood type and COVID-19 susceptibility during March, 2020 and December, 2021 using data from the electronic health record at the University of Chicago Medicine. The study population was stratified into four groups: non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and other. Log-binomial generalized mixed model was used to estimate the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). When compared to blood type O, type B was associated with positive COVID-19 test in Blacks (RR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.02-1.23), Whites (RR = 1.28, 95% CI: 0.99-1.66), and Hispanic (RR = 1.36, 95% CI: 0.97-1.92).
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