Reduction of COVID 19 Transmission to Health Care Professionals

When the COVID-19 virus infects a person, it enters the lung epithelial cells of its host and uses its genetic material to replicate.

The pulmonary epithelial cells of a part of the population, known as "secretors", are capable of expressing the antigens of the "ABO" system on their surface. This secretory status can be established by determining the antigens of the Lewis blood group system. When the virus replicates in an "secreting" individual, the antigens of the "ABO" system of the infected individual will be present on the surface of the viruses formed in his/her lungs.

It was shown in 2003 that the response of a given individual to the transmission of a virus depends on his/her blood group and on the antigens of the "ABO" system carried by the virus. A patient of group "O" would thus defend himself much better against a virus carrying antigens of blood group "A", the natural antibodies "anti-A" of the patient reducing the ability of the virus to bind to its specific receptor on pulmonary epithelial cells, to penetrate them to replicate itself. The first data collected in Wuhan (China) seems to confirm this hypothesis. A COVID-19 virus transmission model can therefore be established on the basis of blood groups.

In order to reduce the spread of the virus among nursing staff, it is possible to establish a preferential algorithm for patient management based on the "ABO" and "Lewis" blood groups of patients and "ABO" of nursing staff in health care units, if operational and human conditions allow.