Max Minute: Are Certain Blood Types More At Risk For Getting The Coronavirus?
By Dr. Max Gomez
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Could your blood type determine your risk for getting infected with the coronavirus?
The rapid global spread of this novel coronavirus has clearly strained health care and testing resources, and even with what appears to be some flattening of the curve in some parts of the country, it would still be helpful to identify individuals who are at most risk.
Somewhat surprisingly, your susceptibility to this coronavirus may depend on your blood type.
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In late March, Chinese researchers released a preliminary study focused on 2,100 COVID-19 patients in three hospitals in Wuhan and Shenzhen. The team looked at the blood types of those patients and compared that to the blood types of the normal population in that area.
They found that people with blood Type A had a significantly higher risk for COVID-19 compared to other blood groups, and people with blood Type O had a significantly lower risk.
A more recent study, again preliminary, from New York Presbyterian Hospital COVID-19 patients found a similar association with blood types but with an added wrinkle.
The higher infection rates for A Types was only for A-positive. Similarly, the lower rates for O Types was for O-positive blood types.
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But these results were not all or nothing. In fact, the difference between the groups was relatively small.
Of the COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, 38% were Type A and 25% were Type O.
People with O Type blood still got COVID-19, just not quite as often as those with Type A blood.
So for now, maintain social distancing, wear masks outside, wash your hands and don't touch your face -- regardless of your blood type.
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