HOLGUÍN, Cuba, May 3 (ACN) A project to determine the genetic predisposition of patients with Spinocerebellar Ataxia type II (SCA2) to become infected with COVID-19 is under way by specialists in this province, top of the list in prevalence of this disease in Cuba.
Doctor of Biological Sciences and program promoter Luis Almaguer told ACN that one of the main goals of the study is to establish how much at risk those who suffer from this neurodegenerative disease are of evolving towards severe forms of the pandemic on the basis of genetic variants.
“We started this project about six months ago with samples taken from 70 patients to analyze hematological and molecular variables to determine susceptibility to Sars-CoV-2. So far we have managed to establish that people with blood group A is at higher risk of further clinical
complications, with a high level of autochthonous transmission nationwide.”
Almaguer, also a professor and researcher linked to the Center for Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias (CIRAH), stressed that based on these conclusions it is possible to design an intervention and guidance strategy to improve patient protection.
SCA2 is a hereditary and progressive disease whose onset varies between two and 65 years of age and affects eye movement control and actions such as swallowing.
The province of Holguín has 80% percent of the cases with Spinocerebellar Ataxia type II in Cuba. So far, an individualized integral rehabilitation program stands as one of the ways to improve the quality of life of these patients.
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