Early results of a new study conducted by genetic testing giant 23andMe suggest a person’s blood type affects how susceptible they are to the coronavirus — and that those with Type O appear to be the least at risk.
Preliminary data from the study — which is still underway and includes 750,000 participants, including 10,000 who told the company they had COVID-19 — indicates that people with Type O blood are between 9- and 18-percent less likely than those with other blood types to have tested positive for the disease. There appeared to be little difference among other blood types, according to the research, which only examined susceptibility and not severity of the illness.
The findings hold when adjusted for age, body mass index, ethnicity and other existing diseases, as well as when the data is narrowed down to only health care workers and other first responders, according to the company.
A European study published last week also found Type O is associated with a lower risk — and patients with Type A blood are 50 percent more likely to need oxygen or require a ventilator.