Why do some COVID-19 patients get seriously sick? It may be blood type, study finds
Some people with COVID-19 infections have gotten seriously sick, and it could be linked to their blood types, a new study says.
Researchers analyzed genetic data and found patients with Type A blood were more at risk of severe complications, and the likelihood was lower for patients with Type O blood, according to results published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The findings suggest a person’s blood type could impact how he or she fares after contracting COVID-19.
In the study, European scientists say they analyzed genetic data from 1,980 hospital patients in Italy and Spain who were seriously sick with the coronavirus. To determine the most severe cases, scientists looked at whether patients required ventilators or other oxygen supplements, results show.
Difficulty breathing is a symptom of the virus and a sign a person needs to seek immediate medical attention, health officials say. Some coronavirus patients have gotten seriously sick while others show mild symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the recent study, researchers also reviewed genetic information for a control group consisting of 2,381 people, according to the results. Armed with genetic information from sick patients, researchers say they found the potential connections between blood type and illness.
“Our genetic data confirm that blood group O is associated with a risk of acquiring Covid-19 that was lower than that in non-O blood groups, whereas blood group A was associated with a higher risk than non-A blood groups,” the report said.
Dr. Roy Silverstein, hematologist and chair of the department of medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin Division of Hematology and Oncology, told CNN a blood type link seems reasonable. Genes that determine blood type also impact the surface of cells, which can make it easier or harder for a virus to get in, he told the news outlet.
While one expert said the latest study results give more weight to similar findings from China, another doctor “urged caution,” the Associated Press reported.
“The evidence of a role for blood type is ‘tentative ... it isn’t enough of a signal to be sure,’” Dr. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California, told the AP.
Though more research is needed, experts say the findings could help decide the best ways to fight coronavirus, experts told news outlets.
This story was originally published June 18, 2020 at 3:06 PM with the headline "Why do some COVID-19 patients get seriously sick? It may be blood type, study finds."
