European Researchers: Blood Type A Increases Risk of Severe COVID-19

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] European researchers have announced that people with blood type A have a higher risk of developing severe symptoms if infected with the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) compared to patients with other blood types. The researchers stated that blood type A carries about a 45% higher risk of infection compared to other blood types.

According to foreign media such as CNN on the 17th (local time), a research team from the University of Kiel in Germany found through genetic analysis of COVID-19 patients that the risk of symptoms worsening to severe stages varies depending on blood type. The researchers compared 1,980 severe patients and over 2,000 asymptomatic patients from seven hospitals in Italy and Spain, finding that patients with blood type A had a much higher risk of severe symptoms than those with other blood types. The infection probability for type A was about 45% higher than other blood types, whereas patients with blood type O showed a 65% lower infection probability compared to others. The study results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

It remains unclear why blood type affects the degree of viral infection or severity. The research team suggested the possibility that certain blood types might influence genetic mutations of the COVID-19 virus. However, Dr. Silverstein, former president of the American Society of Hematology, emphasized that "the difference in absolute risk is very small," noting that while the study may be useful for drug or vaccine design, it does not imply that any specific blood type is more or less at risk.

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