Are People With Type O-Blood Less Likely to Get Coronavirus?

A new study suggests that a person’s susceptibility to contract the Covid-19 and its severity may be linked to their blood type.

Researchers at 23andMe, a genetic testing company, found people with type O blood were up to 18 per cent less likely to test positive for Covid-19 and 26 per cent less likely to contract the virus.

The study involved more than 750,000 participants, including 10,000 who reported having Covid-19, following which it was found that people with O-type blood were between 13 and 26 per cent less likely to test positive.

The study found 1.3 per cent with type O blood tested positive while 1.4 per cent with type A blood and 1.5 per cent of people with type B or AB blood had the disease, reported NDTV.

“Among respondents to the 23andMe Covid-19 survey, the percent of respondents reporting a positive test for Covid-19 is lowest for people who are O blood type. The per cent of respondents reporting a positive test for Covid-19 was highest among those with the AB blood type,” 23andMe said in a post online.

Other factors on which the study was based included age, gender, body mass index and ethnicity.