Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

Study links blood type to COVID-19 severity

Study links blood type to COVID-19 severity

A genetic analysis of patients with COVID-19 released Wednesday indicates that blood type could influence whether someone develops severe symptoms of the disease.
Scientists who compared the genes of thousands of patients in Europe found that those with type A blood were more likely to develop severe disease, while those with type O were less likely.

The report published in the New England Journal of Medicine does not prove that there is a connection to the blood group, but corroborates an earlier discovery in China, which is mentioned in the report.

Most of us dismissed at the beginning it because it was a very crude study, said Dr. Parameswaran Hari, a blood specialist at the Wisconsin School of Medicine. "Now I believe it ... it could be very important," he continued.

However, other scientists call for caution.

The evidence that blood group has a role is preliminary and not a sufficient signal to be sure, said Dr. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in San Diego.

The study, which involved scientists from Italy, Spain, Denmark, Germany, and other nations, compared about 2,000 patients with severe symptoms of COVID-19 to several thousand people who were healthy, developed mild symptoms of the disease, or were asymptomatic. The researchers linked variations in six genes to the likelihood of severe symptoms, including some that may have a role in people's vulnerability to the virus. They also linked blood types to possible risks.

Most genetic studies like this one are much larger, so it would be important to see, if other scientists can reproduce the same results in other patient groups, Topol noted.

Many researchers have searched for clues as to why some people who get the coronavirus become seriously ill and others less so. Being older or male appears to increase risk, and scientists have looked at genes as another possible factor influencing the severity of the disease.

There are four main blood groups: A, B, AB and O, and they are determined "by proteins on the surface of red blood cells," said Dr. Mary Horowitz, scientific director at the Center for International Blood Transplant Research and Marrow.

People with type O blood are better able to recognize certain proteins as foreign and that can extend to proteins on the virus's surface, Hari explained.

During the SARS outbreak, the severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by a genetic cousin of the coronavirus that caused the current pandemic, "people with type O blood were found to be less likely to develop severe symptoms," he added.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
×