Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 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
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
×