Covid-19 and Blood Type

By: Karen Omoregie

There may be possible links between blood types and Coronavirus susceptibility and severity. It is now shown that individuals with blood type O may have lower risk of infection whereas, individuals with blood type AB or A may have increased risk of major clinical outcomes.

Explanation:

According to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, patients with type O and rhesus negative (Rh-) blood groups may have a lower chance of extreme acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and serious coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) sickness. Fewer people with blood type O and more people with types A, B, and AB were included among the COVID-19 positive individuals.

Studies/Data:

Last year, 23andMe recruited around 750,000 participants in a study who have been hospitalized and tested positive for COVID-19 and have found:

• The preliminary results show that, relative to all other forms of blood, the O blood type tends to be protective against the virus.

• Individuals with blood type O are 9-18 percent less likely to have tested positive for COVID-19 than individuals with other blood types, according to the data.

• Among the other blood groups, there seemed to be slight variations in sensitivity.

• Such results apply when modified for age, gender, body mass index, race, and co-morbidities.

• While one study found that the blood group O was only defensive among rhesus positive blood groups, 23andMe data revealed no major variations in rhesus factor (blood type + or -). Nor was this a consideration in instances of susceptibility or seriousness.

• 23andMe found that blood type O is equally protective for those exposed to the virus, healthcare and other front line staff, but the proportion of cases inside the strata is higher.

Overall, these results mean that patients with these two blood types may have a greater chance of COVID-19 organ dysfunction or failure than those with O or B blood types. In comparison, while patients with blood types A and AB did not have longer overall hospital stays than people with types O or B, they remained for a longer average time in the intensive care unit (ICU), which could also signify a higher degree of seriousness of COVID-19.

Sources:

• https://www.infectiousdiseaseadvisor.com/home/topics/covid19/o-negative-blood-had-lowest-probability-of-coronavirus-infection-abo-blood-types/

• https://blog.23andme.com/23andme-research/blood-type-and-covid-19/

• https://www.hematology.org/newsroom/press-releases/2020/possible-link-between-blood-type-and-covid-19