Utah Researchers Find No Connection Between Blood Type, COVID-19 Severity

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – For over a year, scientists have been trying to determine why it is that some COVID-19 cases have been much worse in some people than in others. Intermountain Healthcare officials said a new study ruled out one suspected cause:  blood type.

Many people have had very different reactions to COVID-19. Some reported no symptoms, while feel others developed flu-like symptoms, or were even hospitalized or died.

There were some small studies pointing to a possible link with blood type. Intermountain Healthcare conducted a larger study. Results released Thursday showed the type of blood a person had did not impact the severity of COVID-19 symptoms.

Researchers identified nearly 108,000 people tested for COVID-19 by nasal swab or saliva sample between March and November 2020. With those tests, they also had a recorded blood type.

Doctors said they found no connection between blood type and the likelihood of contracting COVID-19 or the need to be hospitalized or put in the ICU.

“I think it’s important to clarify to the public, regardless of your blood type, you need to follow the tried and true methods – wearing a mask, social distancing, and get vaccinated regardless of your blood type.” said one of the researchers, Dr. Jeffrey Anderson.

The study did note that of the nearly 108,000 participants, age, race, and gender played more of a role in determining risk.

Men, older people, and non-white people were at higher risk of hospitalization or ICU care.

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The CDC has some simple recommendations, most of which are the same for preventing other respiratory illnesses or the flu:

• Avoid close contact with people who may be sick
• Avoid touching your face
• Stay home when you are sick
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. Always wash your hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.