People with blood type O may have lower risk of Covid-19 infection and severe illness

[brooklynite]

Source: CNN

(CNN)People with blood type O may be less vulnerable to Covid-19 and have a reduced likelihood of getting severely ill, according to two studies published Wednesday. Experts say more research is needed.

The research provides further evidence that blood type (also known as blood group) may play a role in a person's susceptibility to infection and their chance of having a severe bout of the disease. The reasons for this link aren't clear and more research is needed to say what implications, if any, it has for patients.

A Danish study found that among 473,654 people who were tested for Covid-19, only 38.4% with blood type O tested positive -- even though, among a group of 2.2 million people who were not tested, that blood type made up 41.7% of the population.

In the other study, researchers in Canada found that among 95 patients critically ill with Covid-19, a higher proportion with blood type A or AB -- 84% -- required mechanical ventilation compared with patients with blood group O or B, which was 61%.


Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/14/health/blood-group-covid-19-scn-wellness/index.html

[Joe Nation]

1. Now I am a universal donor AND safer from COVID

win-win

[StClone]

3. I tore off my shirt

To reveal a big "O" and a cape.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

11. I finally broke down and, after an absence of several years, donated blood again

three weeks ago. I am a type-O.

It was reluctance on my part as much as it was a change in the rules that let me donate again.

[lagomorph777]

27. Looks like a VERY subtle difference. Keep yer mask on.

I'm O+ and not terribly excited about this news.

[rurallib]

2. Just heard my next door neighbor kids got covid at school.

I am an O neg with a long history of donating. I am hoping that changing the oil every month may help keep me safe - didn't say it would, but I can hope, can't I?

[LisaL]

4. Well, it does me no good.

NT

[JCMach1]

5. AB+ rings true here 15 days in ICU

[Ron Obvious]

6. 38.4 vs 41.7 sounds a bit marginal.

Still, being a type O, I'll take it.

[Lucky Luciano]

9. Very large sample, so likely significant. Also the stats for severe illness were better.

[PerceptionManagement]

7. I wonder what the prevalent blood type is in Wuhan

[stopdiggin]

8. this is really poorly worded

A Danish study found that among 473,654 people who were tested for Covid-19, only 38.4% with blood type O tested positive -- even though, among a group of 2.2 million people who were not tested, that blood type made up 41.7% of the population.

the two percentages are (seemingly) from completely unrelated data sets.
this is why I shudder when the news media tries to "write" science

[Lucky Luciano]

10. Indeed. I interpret it to mean that of those samples that tested positive, x% were type O.

I wish it were clearer.

[getagrip_already]

18. I read it as.....

38.4 % of positive tests were type O

AND

41.7% of the population is type O

So that is their link; namely the two percentages differ to a significant degree, which you wouldn't expect if blood type had no impact.

[stopdiggin]

31. IF that's what was intended

(and I'm still not at all sure) that is a fairly small difference to be hanging a story on, wouldn't you agree?

[SharonClark]

12. I'm O+ which makes me more attractive to

mosquitos.

[dhol82]

14. That's interesting.

I’m a B+ and am a mosquito magnet. I can be sitting outside with a group and be the only one bitten.

[sinkingfeeling]

24. Me too. All insects seek me out.

[Luciferous]

30. Me too, I am constantly getting bit up in the summer.

[Bev54]

13. I read this several months ago in a Canadian article

I am type O and pretty happy about it.

[Lonestarblue]

15. Oh dear. I will have to lock myself away until we have a vaccine.

I’m in the A/AB group.

[cannabis_flower]

16. I'm O-

But may be at higher risk for other health reasons. But at less risk because I’m now working from home and might have gotten the Pfizer vaccine. So I don’t know. I’ll continue to be cautious.

[ananda]

17. Type O Positive here.

I also follow the blood type diet religiously,
and use their supplements. So far so good.

[The Genealogist]

19. O+ here

I guess that is a good thing with the Drumph Bug going around.

[meow2u3]

20. Type O negative here

I'm not even thinking about letting down my guard and acting as if coronavirus didn't exist. I'm still staying home, wearing a mask, keeping 6 ft. apart from others, and washing my hands as if I had OCD.

[mecherosegarden]

21. I am O+

And COVID almost killed me several months ago. Got a nice scar on one of my lungs courtesy of the pneumonia. That "thing" did not care about my blood type.

[pfitz59]

22. I am type O

and tested negative earlier this week.

[vercetti2021]

23. I'm O-

I guess I'm good?

[duhneece]

25. I wonder how this 'intersects' with Neanderthal Gene/Covid link, if at all

"...Scientists have claimed that a strand of DNA that triples the risk of developing severe Covid-19 was passed on from Neanderthals to modern humans. The genetic endowment, a legacy from more than 50,000 years ago, has left about 16% of Europeans and half of south Asians today carrying ..."


https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/sep/30/neanderthal-genes-increase-risk-of-serious-covid-19-study-claims

[ancianita]

26. Interesting. I'm happy to be O, not sure if I'm positive or negative, but whatever, right?

[KewlKat]

28. I'm A- and spouse is A+....we avoid everyone.

[Glorfindel]

29. Well, a tiny bit of good news for me. I'm O-pos.!

Not about to let my guard down, though. Masks and social distancing all the way.

[Coventina]

32. My husband is type A, he tested positive. I'm type O, I remained negative

through multiple tests.

I know, it's anecdotal.