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Study: Food allergy provides protection against COVID

Study: Food allergy provides protection against COVID

Food allergies can be a serious health risk in the worst case. But there is an advantage for people who have a food allergy: they can be better protected from COVID-19

A US study has found that people with food allergies are less likely to become infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, than other people.

It was assumed that this happens as they tend to eat less than the general population.

However, Dr. Tina Hartert, co-director of the research, speculates that a "type 2 inflammation" that is characteristic of allergic conditions could reduce levels of a protein called the ACE2 receptor on the surface and in the airways.

The coronavirus uses this receptor to enter cells, so its absence may limit the virus's ability to infect them.