Some research suggests COVID-19 may be a blood disease attacking hemoglobin, resulting in low blood oxygen that doctors are attempting to address with ventilation.
It’s hypothesized that the anti-malarial drug Hydroxychloroquine (if effective) may be effective against COVID-19 for the same reason that it’s effective against malaria, i.e. it inhibits the pathway both diseases potentially use to attack hemoglobin.
There is a genetic condition called Thalassemia that is protective against malaria (see image attached). It would be interesting to see if COVID-19 patients with Thalassemia have a lower fatality rate than those patients without Thalassemia, as that may shed some light on the link between Hydroxychloroquine, Malaria, and COVID-19.
Another link between Malaria, COVID-19, and blood. Studies suggest that people with blood type O may be at lower risk for both diseases.