Author: Michelle Pansa
Along these months of worry and despair, many false assumptions have arisen in the midst of scientific chaos. These myths varied in popularity and even caught some of the media’s attention. One interesting theory was that the risk of contracting Covid-19 could be affected by a person’s blood type.
Does your blood type affect your risk of contracting Covid-19?
Medical researchers first thought that there was a correlation between these two factors based on minimal evidence. As the virus gained more attention and began drastically affecting the US population, this earlier thought was now proven false. There were two studies conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York.
In both of these studies, it was found that having type A blood does not increase the odds of being infected. Although, there were some minuscule findings that were related to blood type. In the Mass Gen study, symptomatic individuals with blood type O were less likely to test positive and individuals with B or AB who were Rh positive were more likely to test positive. Blood type is also not related to the severity of the virus and its development in a person. Research continues since there is a connection between blood type and the immune response. Based on your blood type, the antibodies created from your immune system can differ. Studies may soon take place in other geographic locations since numbers continue to increase.
People can now be rest assured that blood type does not increase or decrease one’s chances of becoming infected with the virus. Although following safety measures do limit your chances, so please wear a mask and stay 6 feet apart from others!
Sources:
Affairs, M. (2020, July 17). COVID-19 and Blood Type. Retrieved July 26, 2020, from https://hms.harvard.edu/news/covid-19-blood-type
Zimmer, C. (2020, July 15). Covid-19 Risk Doesn't Depend (Much) on Blood Type, New Studies Find. Retrieved July 26, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/15/science/coronavirus-blood-type.html