Everyone’s concerned about the Covid-19 virus at the moment. To understand your risk, here’s an unexpected risk factor you should know about.
You can’t turn on the television without hearing about the Covid-19 virus right now. Everyone’s trying to learn about every little factor that may be involved in its transmission. The information on this virus is still incomplete. But there’s an unexpected health risk factor that you need to know about.
People have known for a while that blood type is linked to a higher risk of certain diseases. Some diseases linked to blood type are Hepatitis B, SARS, and the Norwalk virus. At this stage, there’s no clear evidence why certain diseases are more likely to infect people with a specific blood type. However, it’s thought that it has to do with blood group antigens.
Blood group antigens are either sugars or proteins that attach to the red blood cell membrane. And each blood group has different antigens. It’s believed that some antigens act as binding receptors, allowing viruses or bacteria to enter the cells. This may be relevant in our right against the Covid-19 virus.
There is emerging evidence that people with Type O blood are less likely to become infected with Covid-19. And people with type A blood are thought to be the most likely to be infected. The study suggested that people with Type A blood are also more likely to experience more severe symptoms. These conclusions come from a study in Wuhan, where the Covid-19 virus originated.
31 percent of residents in Wuhan had Type A blood. But more than 37 percent of patients with Covid-19 had this blood type. Conversely, only 25 percent of infected patients had the virus. And significantly, 33 percent of the population had this blood type. So, there is a clear gap there.
There are obvious limitations to this study and its conclusion. It’s the first study of its kind and doesn’t consider other factors that may influence infection. However, it also suggests new ways forward in our approach to the coronavirus.
This information could be useful for medical staff and individuals. It could indicate which virus patients are more likely to need medical help. And for individuals and families, it stresses higher vigilance for blood type A people. But this isn’t a reason for panic.
Just because you have type A blood, doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed to get sick. Infection is reliant on countless factors, many of them uncontrollable. And it doesn’t mean that you’re protected if you have blood type O. Instead, it should be used as a warning. Both blood types should be vigilant about reducing their risk of infection. And if infected, everyone needs to watch out for signs of a serious infection, regardless of blood type.
If you’re concerned about a health risk, try using HomeLab to keep track of your condition and any preventative measures you take. And if you see signs of a significant problem, you should check with your doctor as soon as possible.
Tags: health risk, blood type, Covid-19