ATLANTA — Studies suggest that your blood type might be tied to your risk of contracting COVID-19, but there’s no explanation as to why it may be a factor.
The studies are a statistical analysis of COVID-19 cases around the world. They suggest that you’re more likely to contract COVID-19 if you have type A blood, while type O is less likely.
“It may be that it has nothing to do with blood type per se,” said Dr. Marybeth Sexton of the Emory University School of Medicine.
The studies involved patients in China, Italy, Spain, and other parts of the world. The post popular blood type in China is O, with type A being the second most popular. But a study of 2,173 people hospitalized there with COVID-19 found most were type A while the least popular blood type of those seriously ill was type O.
There’s no explanation behind the numbers.
“It also doesn’t mean if you have type A blood you’re automatically in trouble,” said Dr. Sexton. “It doesn’t mean if you have type O blood you’re automatically fine. You don’t know exactly what is driving that relationship.”
There are other studies that have led scientists to conclude the relationship between blood type and COVID-19 isn’t significant enough to consider it a legitimate risk factor.
Dr. Sexton is among the healthcare experts who say everyone, no matter their blood type, should be equally vigilant in protecting themselves from COVID-19.