Blood type has an effect on Covid

Later, news emerged that people with blood type A were more at risk of contracting COVID-19 than other blood types. On the other hand, people with blood type O are said to be more immune to this virus. After going through various studies, the researchers concluded that this was not a hoax.

Effect of blood type on the risk of contracting COVID-19

Blood type appears to affect a person's risk of contracting COVID-19. This allegation originated from a study of 2,173 COVID-19 patients who were treated at three hospitals in the cities of Wuhan and Shenzhen, China.

In the study, people whose blood group were in group A were at higher risk of contracting COVID-19. Blood groups in this group include A-positive, A-negative, AB-positive, and AB-negative.

Meanwhile, people with O-positive and O-negative blood have a lower risk of contracting this virus. Researchers have compared them for age, sex, and comorbidities. As a result, blood type still has a strong role.

In another study, a US research team looked at data from 682 New Yorkers who tested positive for COVID-19. Blood type A people have a 33% higher chance of getting a positive result than people with other blood types.

The researchers suspect this is related to the type of antigen in each blood group. Antigens are special proteins in your red blood cells. A person's blood type is determined by the type of antigen attached to the surface of his red blood cells.

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These antigens also produce certain antibodies to fight infection or reject blood from an incompatible group. In general, here are the types of antigens and antibodies that each blood group has:

• Blood type A: antigen A and anti-B antibody.
• Blood type B: B antigens and anti-A antibodies.
• Blood type AB: antigens A and B, but no anti-A and anti-B antibodies.
• Blood type O: no A and B antigens, but anti-A and anti-B antibodies.

Referring to previous research on SARS disease, anti-A antibodies help inhibit the activity of coronavirus in the body. The Chinese research team suspects that something similar might also have happened to the COVID-19 case.

This suspicion arose because COVID-19 and SARS were caused by viruses from the same group. In other words, it may be these antibodies that make people with blood types O and B more protected from COVID-19.

Blood type genetic factors may have an effect on COVID-19

The difference in antigens seems to explain why people with blood type A are more at risk of contracting COVID-19. However, researchers at the time could not confirm this and were still looking for other explanations.

In order to answer this problem, researchers from various institutions in Europe studied genetic factors that may be the cause. They analyzed about eight million genetic codes that make up the DNA of 1,980 research subjects.

The research team found the genetic code on chromosomes 3 and 9. These codes not only affect the risk of transmission of COVID-19, but also the severity. A similar genetic code is also found on chromosome 9, which makes up the ABO blood group.

The analysis showed that patients with blood type A-positive had a 45% higher risk of experiencing respiratory failure. Meanwhile, patients with blood type O have a 35% lower risk of experiencing this one COVID-19 complication.

Blood type A also increases a patient's chances of being on a ventilator by as much as 50%. There is also a link between genes and the risk of blood clots and heart disease due to COVID-19.

The most important factor remains personal hygiene

Certain blood types and genetic codes can indeed increase your risk of contracting COVID-19. However, the two of them were not the only determinants. The most important factor remains personal hygiene and how well you try to prevent infection.

To protect yourself and those around you, here are some steps you can take:

• Diligently wash your hands using soap and water or hand sanitizer made from at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid crowds and maintain a safe distance of at least one meter from other people.
• Use a cloth mask when traveling outdoors.
• Do not touch your eyes, nose and mouth without washing your hands first.
• Applying the correct method of coughing and sneezing.
• Get checked out if you experience symptoms of COVID-19 such as coughing, fever, and shortness of breath.

Blood type is one of the many factors that affect the risk of contracting COVID-19. This may be related to the type of antigen and genetic code that makes up your blood group.

However, whether blood type A or otherwise, anyone can still catch COVID-19 if they do not take precautions and comply with health protocols. So, make sure you apply both to reduce the chances of contracting it.