Covid Ireland: Infection more likely depending on your…

Covid Ireland: Infection more likely depending on your blood type, experts warn

Ireland is in the midst of another Covid surge with thousands of new cases being confirmed every day.

There are currently 943 patients in Irish hospitals with Covid, of which 35 are in ICU.

The surge is being fuelled by the highly transmissible BA.4 and BA.5 variants, which are also causing infections to spike across the globe.

With a stark rise in cases, some people may be worried about catching Covid, either for the first time or again.

It turns out your risk may be significantly lowered depending on the type of blood you have, according to new research.

Blood types and susceptibility to a Covid infection was first hypothesised by researchers in China back in March 2020.

These ideas were further echoed by a paper out of Columbia University a month later, Mirror UK reports.

Stock image of a negative Covid test (Jane Barlow/PA Wire)

Interestingly, DNA testing company 23andMe further bolstered this theory when it was able to link customers and Covid infections among 750,000 people who were diagnosed and hospitalised with the virus - and those with type O blood types were better protected.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine confirmed the idea and found those with blood type A had a 45% increased risk of being infected with Covid than those with other blood types.

Again, the findings concluded that blood type O was 35% less likely to be infected.

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Researchers and scientists are now confirming that your blood type can have a significant impact on the likelihood of catching Covid, with type A being more susceptible and type O having a lesser risk.

Dr Xand van Tullekan from Healthcheck UK Live said: "There is some truth in it, or at least there is some data to support it.

"There was a study in Wuhan that said that blood type A was more susceptible, and that's our most common blood type in the UK.

"But whatever blood type you are, your behaviour is the same. Stay at home, and don't go outside unless it is for proper exercise, or essential activities."

Just because you’re type O doesn’t mean you’re in the clear, however.

All studies so far have only looked at blood type in connection to symptomatic cases of coronavirus, experts warn.

People with type O blood might be slightly more protected from the virus, and people with type A slightly more vulnerable, but an infection still means the same rules apply.

The HSE have listed a number of things you can do to protect yourself and prevent the spread of Covid.

It says you should:

get a Covid vaccine and booster dose when it's available to you
keep at least 2 metres (around 6 feet) away from people you do not live with
wash your hands properly and often
wear a face mask in crowded places outdoors and when you move around in public indoor spaces
cover coughs or sneezes with a tissue or your sleeve - put used tissues into a bin and wash your hands
meet people outdoors where possible
try to avoid crowded places where you cannot keep a distance from people - there's a greater risk of infection in crowded and enclosed places
check that visitors to your home or workplace do not have symptoms of Covid, colds or flu
let fresh air into your home by opening windows, doors and air vents as much as possible when you have visitors
clean objects and surfaces that other people touch

And it says you shouldn't:

do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean
do not share objects that touch your mouth, for example, bottles or cups
do not shake hands or make close contact with other people, if possible
do not wear gloves instead of washing your hands - your hands can get contaminated when you take them off

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