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Why may blood type influence your risk of COVID-19?

Doctors caution that everyone needs to protect themselves from the coronavirus no matter your blood type.

ATLANTA — Studies suggest that your blood type might be tied to your risk of contracting COVID-19, but there’s no explanation as to why it may be a factor.

The studies are a statistical analysis of COVID-19 cases around the world. They suggest that you’re more likely to contract COVID-19 if you have type A blood, while type O is less likely.

“It may be that it has nothing to do with blood type per se,” said Dr. Marybeth Sexton of the Emory University School of Medicine.

RELATED: VERIFY: Research on blood types and COVID-19 severity show contradictions

The studies involved patients in China, Italy, Spain, and other parts of the world. The post popular blood type in China is O, with type A being the second most popular. But a study of 2,173 people hospitalized there with COVID-19 found most were type A while the least popular blood type of those seriously ill was type O.

There’s no explanation behind the numbers.

“It also doesn’t mean if you have type A blood you’re automatically in trouble,” said Dr. Sexton. “It doesn’t mean if you have type O blood you’re automatically fine. You don’t know exactly what is driving that relationship.”

There are other studies that have led scientists to conclude the relationship between blood type and COVID-19 isn’t significant enough to consider it a legitimate risk factor.

Dr. Sexton is among the healthcare experts who say everyone, no matter their blood type, should be equally vigilant in protecting themselves from COVID-19.

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