A person's blood type and other genetic factors may be linked with severity of coronavirus infection, according to European researchers.
Joe Davies reports.
A person's blood type and other genetic factors may be linked with the severity of coronavirus infection.
That's according to a European study looking for clues about why COVID-19 hits some much harder than others.
The findings, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, suggest people with type A blood have a higher risk of developing worse symptoms after infection.
Researchers analysed the genes of more than 4,000 people to look for variations that were common in those who were severely affected by the virus.
They found that a cluster of variants in genes that are involved with immune responses was more common in people with severe symptoms. These genes are also involved with a cell-surface protein called ACE2 that the coronavirus uses to gain entry to and infect cells in the body.
The researchers, led by scientists in Germany and Norway, also found the risk of severe symptoms was 45% higher for people with type A blood than those with other blood types.
And it appeared to be 35% lower for people with type O.
The scientists say their findings provide clues as to what disease processes may be going on, but more research is needed before the information becomes useful.
The risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 and developing severe symptoms could depend on the type of blood flowing through your..