Blood type linked to severe COVID-19 risk

The risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 and developing severe symptoms could depend on the type of blood flowing through your body, according to a team of European scientists.

LEARNING WHETHERA PERSON GETS ASEVERE FORM OFCOVID-19 COULDDEPEND ON BLOODTYPE AND THEIR D-N-A.MANDY GAITHER HASMORE IN TODAY'SHEALTH MINUTE.THE RISK OFBECOMING INFECTEDWITH THECORONAVIRUSANDDEVELOPINGSEVERE SYMPTOMS -COULD DEPEND ONTHE TYPE OF BLOODFLOWING THROUGHYOUR BODY --ACCORDING TO ATEAM OF EUROPEANSCIENTISTS.

THEIRFINDINGS PUBLISHEDIN THE NEWENGLAND JOURNALOF MEDICINE COULDHELP EXPLAIN WHYSOME PEOPLE GETSERIOUSLY ILL WITHTHE VIRUS -- WHILEMOST BARELY SHOWANY SYMPTOMS ATALL.

THERESEARCHERSFOUND PEOPLE WITHTYPE A BLOOD ARE ATA HIGHER RISK OFCONTRACTING THEVIRUS AND GETTINGREALLY SICK FROM IT.WHILE PEOPLE WITHTYPE O BLOOD HAVEA LOWER RISK.

THERESEARCHERS CAN'TSAY IF YOUR BLOODTYPE IS THE MAINREASON YOU MAY BEMORE SUSCEPTABLETO THE VIRUS-- ORLESS.

BUT THEYDETECTED GENETICVARIATIONS COMMONIN THE SICKESTPATIENTS...ANDTHOSE COULD JUSTHAPPEN TO BELINKED TO APERSON'SBLOODTYPE.

THEVARIATIONS COULDBE ASSOCIATED WITHA PERSON'S IMMUNERESPONSE.

ANOVERWHELMINGOVERREACTION OFTHE IMMUNE SYSTEM-- IS BLAMED FOR THEDEADLIEST EFFECTSOF THECORONAVIRUS INMANY PATIENTS.

FORTODAY'S HEALTHMINUTE, I'M MANDYGAITHER.THE DIFFERENCE INRISK BETWEENBLOOD TYPES ISSMALL --RESEARCHERS SAY