The first study done on blood types and Covid was done in China. At that time, not many people wanted to trust any info coming from China. But when one of our friends was constantly exposed and never tested positive, I began to wonder if it had anything to do with his O blood type. A case study does not qualify as research, but it did make me wonder. Today, we’ll see three research studies that give light on this subject. These studies reveal that there are benefits of having O blood types during Covid.
First, let’s look at the blood type groups and percentage of Americans having each blood type:
Group O – 45%
Group A – 40%
Group B – 11%
Group AB – 4%
Now let’s look at the studies:
In this study, positive and negative Covid tests were compared with blood group types. What they found is amazing. People like me with Group A had 9% more infections, Group B had 6% more infections, and Group AB had 15% more infections than negative controls. But the Group O folks like my friend were 13% less likely to get Covid. This shows that the O Blood Types do have some natural immunity to Covid. This research does not mean that O Blood Types can’t get Covid, but they do have an edge stemming from their blood type. They still need to be cautious, consider underlying conditions, ask their doctor whether they are a good candidate for a vaccine, and implement a healthy lifestyle. The study says:
Here, we demonstrate that blood group O is significantly associated with reduced susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Additionally, ABO blood groups were not associated with hospitalization or death rates following infection.
This study done in Italy and Spain had 835 patients and 1255 control participants who had genetic studies done. Although not good news for A Blood Groups like me, the A’s had a 45% higher risk of developing severe Covid as opposed to the O Group having a 35% less chance. of developing severe symptoms. The study came to this conclusion:
Our genetic data confirm that blood group O is associated with a risk of acquiring Covid-19 that was lower than that in non-O blood groups, whereas blood group A was associated with a higher risk than non-A blood groups.
(Gee thanks!)
This study looked at 95 out of 125 patients admitted to ICU with Covid who had blood types available. Here are the findings:
Only 5% of Group O and 9% of Group B required kidney support whereas 32% of Group AB and 12% of Group A required this.
Blood Types requiring intubation:
Group A 32%
Group O 35%
Group B 61%
Group AB 84%
The study also showed that Groups O and B had median ICU stays of 9 days, whereas Groups A and AB had median ICU stays of 13.5 days. One limitation of this study is the small sample size. However, the study concluded:
We demonstrate that critically ill COVID-19 patients with blood group A or AB are associated with an increased risk for requiring mechanical ventilation, CRRT, and prolonged ICU length of stay compared with patients with blood groups O or B.
According to Dr. Mypinder Sekhon, an intensive care physician at Vancouver General Hospital,” Clotting is a major driver in complications with Covid. People with O Blood Types make less of a key blood-clotting factor, which makes them less prone to clotting problems in the blood.”
As a young girl scout, I remember rubbing poison ivy all over my body just to prove I was not susceptible to it. For some reason, I was the only member of my troop that did not break out with it. I would not try the same thing today. Things change over time. In that day, my body did not react to the poisons in the ivy.
All I can say is, “Where can I go to sign up for another blood group? My Group A Blood Type was not in my favor during this pandemic like my nonreaction to poison ivy as a child. Thank goodness I’ve improved my lifestyle drastically. My lifestyle was a big plus indeed. The O’s may have some natural immunity to Covid, but don’t be fooled—they can still get it. This research does not give the O Blood Types permission to be careless like I was in my scouting days, but they do have a few extra feathers in their cap. I certainly would not do everything you can to try to get Covid just to prove you can’t get it as I did with the poison ivy.
Do you know of anyone who was constantly exposed to Covid yet never got it?
Next week, we’ll look at some of the research on Vitamin D and Covid-19.
For Your Health,
Ginny
Ginny Dent Brant is a speaker and writer who grew up in the halls of power in Washington, DC. She has battled cancer, ministered around the world, and served on the front lines of American culture as a counselor, educator, wellness advocate, and adjunct professor. Brant’s award-winning book, Finding True Freedom: From the White House to the World, was endorsed by Chuck Colson and featured in many TV and media interviews. Unleash Your God-Given Healing: Eight Steps to Prevent and Survive Cancer was released in May 2020 after her journey with cancer and was recently awarded the First Place Golden Scrolls Award for Memoirs, and Second Place in both Selah Awards for Memoirs and Director’s Choice Award for Nonfiction at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference. It recently received the Christian Authors Network’s (CAN) Gold Award for Excellence in Marketing for reaching 62.5 million people with a message of cancer prevention and survival. It was written with commentary from an oncologist and was featured on CBN’s Healthy Living Show, Atlanta Live, and CTN’s Homekeepers along with over 75 media outlets. Learn more and cancer and wellness prevention blog and book information at www.ginnybrant.com.