According to a recent study, there may be a link between a person’s blood type and the risk of being infected with the coronavirus. The study was published on June 17 by the New England Journal of Medicine. It gave details about the genetic factors that can determine coronavirus and how it is related to respiratory issues.
Case Study 1
The study included around 2,000 patients who were infected with coronavirus and admitted to seven different hospitals across Italy and Spain. As per the research, people with O blood group are slightly more protected than people with A blood group.
Dean Winslow, a physician on infecting diseases from Stanford Health Care, stated that the results are “very interesting”. He said that the association of considering blood group being susceptible to coronavirus is real. The study actually showed that the people who have O blood type are less vulnerable to the infection unliked the ones with A blood type. Patients who belong to the A blood type have more chances of needing oxygen supplementation or mechanical ventilation.
Case Study 2
The study recorded in this journal is not the first research done in order to find the correlation between coronavirus and blood group. There was one more research done by Chinese researchers in March. They too concluded that blood group A is at higher risk of acquiring COVID-19 and also deteriorating health. However, people who belong to the O blood group are at a lower risk.
Reasonable observation
MD Iahn Gonsenhauser and chief quality and patient safety officer from Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center stated that there have been a handful of studies that showed the same results. People with type O blood are at lower risk compared to non-O blood groups. However, he also said that we need to understand that these are observational studies. These can show a correlation but can’t show the cause behind it. The results are observed according to a pattern. But that doesn’t determine the cause and can also be incidental.
According to Gonsenhauser, the studies are a “reasonable observation”. However, scientific findings might be evident and the relations of blood group and coronavirus can be a fact. Winslow states that blood group can be just another factor that explains how people react differently to a virus. However, this doesn’t mean people with O blood types should be less worried about COVID-19.
The risk of getting infected or become severe can be less. However, this only projects relative risk reduction but not complete protection. Andre Franke, the co-author of a study said that there have been many people with O blood type who have died due to coronavirus.
Gonsenhauser added that the study shouldn’t change anyone’s approach towards the gravity of the pandemic. People must continue to be socially distant and wear masks all the time. These are the best tools to stay protected said the MD.
