The at-home genetic testing company 23andMe found people with type O blood were 14 percent less likely to get COVID-19 compared to people with other blood types. They were also 19 less likely to be hospitalized, even after accounting for such factors as age, ethnicity and existing health issues.
The findings stem from an analysis of 750,000 people who agreed to let 23andMe use their DNA for COVID-19 research.
23andMe is not the first company to investigate a potential connection between blood type and COVID-19.
A recent analysis of 1,610 COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Italy and Spain found those with type A-positive blood had a 45 percent higher risk of respiratory failure. Patients with type O blood had a 35 percent lower risk. The study was posted on the preprint server mdRxiv and has not been peer-reviewed.
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