Is Blood Type Important for Coronavirus Risk? What the study shows

Recent studies have suggested that people’s blood groups may affect the risk of becoming infected with the COVID-19 virus and developing serious cases of the disease. Overall, the findings show that people with blood type O appear to be more protected and people with type A appear to be more vulnerable.

Does that mean that some people can neglect precautionary measures while others need to ratchet them?

Not so fast, pointing out that the findings show relevance rather than causality, blood type Guarantee protection.

The findings may draw public attention when people who are tired of pandemics are looking for signs of hope, but doctors find the results more relevant to researchers trying to better understand the virus Is called.

“I think this kind of thing is far more appealing than it really is,” said Dr. Erlongrat, MD, head of medicine and infectious disease at Mount Sinai South Nassau in New York.

The possible effect of blood type on COVID-19 is Known risk factorsMr Glatt, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Infectious Diseases about aging and underlying diseases, said. “In any patient, if there is a risk factor or no risk factor, it’s much more important,” he said.

He shouldn’t jump to the conclusion that it’s safe because of blood groups.

“They certainly don’t walk around the high five and say,” I can do whatever I want, I don’t need to mask, I have O so I don’t have to worry about anything “Said Grat. “And they have A, so don’t crawl into the corners of the world and allow anyone near them. In terms of proper masking and social distance, no matter what your blood type, You have to practice the same way.”

Dr. Lewis Kaplan, a professor of surgery at the University of Pennsylvania, who is chairman of the Critical Care Medical Society, agreed.

According to Kaplan, the risk is lower based on blood type, and some studies vary the risk, but the risk is not zero. “It may mean they are at low risk, but if you engage in risky behavior, how much risk you have to overwhelm any potential protection you may have I don’t know what I need to bear,” he said. “No clues”

European studies published last month New England Medical Journal People with type A blood are 45% more likely to develop severe COVID-19 requiring oxygen supplementation and ventilator than people with other blood types, and 35% are those with type O blood. It turned out to be low. The study enrolled 1,610 patients with severe COVID-19 and 2,205 control subjects.

However, Type O people are still very ill.

“They are at reduced risk of becoming infected and developing serious illness,” said study author Andre Franke, a professor of molecular medicine at the University of Kiel, Germany, in an email. “But this is just a relative risk reduction. That is, there is no complete protection. Many of our patients who died have blood type O.

Some relevant papers have been released on the preprint server medRxiv, and peer review of published papers has not been reviewed. Study in China And both in New York have found it People with type A blood had a greater risk Coronavirus infection was at a lower risk for type O viruses than for other blood group viruses.

In addition, genetic testing company 23andMe blogged about unpublished preliminary data, and people with type O blood Unlikely to be positive Because of the coronavirus than others.

Dr. Roy Silverstein, a professor at the Medical University of Wisconsin and a chair of medicine at the University of Wisconsin Medical Center in Wisconsin, warns against undue emphasis on unreviewed findings and warrants further research. I said.

“We have to be careful of overreactions,” Silverstein said.

Blood type O and A Most common, the study was able to draw stronger statistical conclusions for those types than B and AB, he said.

The explanation of the findings is unknown, but it is speculated that the blood type may affect coagulation and other factors in COVID-19 patients, and may have some effect on infectivity and immunity. It is hoped that the findings can be applied to future studies to better understand why coronaviruses affect people differently and to develop treatments.

The results are not expected to change the way doctors care for patients.

“The fact that you have an O or A is not going to change the way you monitor patients,” said Glatt of Mount Sinai South Nassau. “If someone has an O and they aren’t going well, I don’t say “Oh, don’t worry about it, you have an O.” I treat them properly. If they have an A and they are doing very well, I say “OK, we’ll keep watching you.” “