People with type A blood are more likely to get COVID-19 after an exposure than those with type O blood because of how the coronavirus binds to cells, a new study says.
The bottom line on blood type and Covid risk
People with Type O blood might be slightly more protected from the virus, and people with Type A slightly more vulnerable. The discovery of Type O's protective effect is crucial to building an understanding of how the virus works.
Taken together, the authors concluded that type O and Rh-negative blood groups may be protective against SARS-CoV-2 infection and illness.
The role of Rhesus (RH) factor
RH factor also plays a role in the severity of the COVID-19 infection. Ray et al. reported that Rh– blood group is associated with lower risk of developing severe COVID-19 infection, suggesting that Rh– blood group may have a protective effect against severe SARS-CoV-2 illness (18).
Carriers of blood group 0 (I) are generally more resistant to diseases, with the exception of H. pylori-associated gastrointestinal diseases. Carriers of «antigenic» blood groups A (II), B (III), AB (IV) are more susceptible to development of infectious, cardiovascular and cancer diseases.
Of the eight main blood types, people with Type O have the lowest risk for heart attacks and blood clots in the legs and lungs. This may be because people with other blood types have higher levels of certain clotting factors, which are proteins that cause blood to coagulate (solidify).
Older adults are at highest risk of getting very sick from COVID-19. More than 81% of COVID-19 deaths occur in people over age 65. The number of deaths among people over age 65 is 97 times higher than the number of deaths among people ages 18-29 years.
COVID-19 is often more severe in people 60+yrs or with health conditions like lung or heart disease, diabetes or conditions that affect their immune system. Do your part to protect those who are at most risk.
Chances are higher you'll live longer if you have type O blood. Experts think your lowered risk of disease in your heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease) may be one reason for this.
Patients with types B or AB blood were more likely to test positive for COVID-19, whereas those with type O were less likely to test positive. In addition, patients who were Rh positive — a common characteristic of blood type — also had a relatively high chance of receiving positive COVID-19 results.
No, siblings don't necessarily have the same blood type. It depends on which parent passes along their "genotype" - or gene pool - for determining what you are made up of: either AO (like apostle), BO (both parents) encoding an individual with Type AB positive and negative varieties; AA where both carry genotypes O+.
Though most studies have shown that blood type doesn't directly influence personality, some experts still believe there may be more to the story than what's flowing through your veins.
Blood Type O Personality
People with blood type O are considered to be outgoing, go-getters, and daring. Blood type personality theory states that they usually set high standards for themselves, and they do all they can to achieve them. Blood type Os have excellent leadership capabilities.
Usually, you'll have the same blood type all of your life. In rare cases, however, blood types can change. The change usually relates to unique circumstances, such as having a bone marrow transplant or getting certain types of leukemia or infections. Not all of these changes in blood type are permanent.
O negative is the universal blood type. O negative blood type can only receive O negative blood. O negative donors who are CMV negative are known as Heroes for Babies at the Red Cross because it is the safest blood for transfusions for immune deficient newborns.
In an emergency situation where a patient's blood type is unknown, type O negative blood is the only blood type that is safe to use. The reason is that it is compatible with all blood types. Type O negative is known as the universal blood type.
Type O negative red blood cells are considered the safest to give to anyone in a life-threatening emergency or when there's a limited supply of the exact matching blood type. That's because type O negative blood cells don't have antibodies to A, B or Rh antigens.
But some people may be infectious for up to 10 days. Symptoms in children and babies are milder than those in adults, and some infected kids may not show any signs of being unwell. People who experience more serious illness may take weeks to recover. Symptoms may continue for several weeks after infection.
A person may have mild symptoms for about one week, then worsen rapidly. Let your doctor know if your symptoms quickly worsen over a short period of time.
Fever and cough are the most common COVID-19 symptoms in children, according to the CDC. "The symptoms of COVID-19 are similar in adults and children and can look like other common illnesses, like colds, strep throat, or allergies," the CDC reports.
What's the rarest blood type? AB negative is the rarest of the eight main blood types - just 1% of our donors have it. Despite being rare, demand for AB negative blood is low and we don't struggle to find donors with AB negative blood. However, some blood types are both rare and in demand.
An Rh null person has to rely on the cooperation of a small network of regular Rh null donors around the world if they need the blood. Across the globe, there are only nine active donors for this blood group. This makes it the world's most precious blood type, hence the name "golden" blood.