What Blood Type Has to Do With COVID-19 Risk

Truthfully, not much — but it's still a valuable piece of information for future COVID-19 research to have.

By Leslie Nemo
Dec 4, 2020 9:20 PMDec 4, 2020 9:19 PM
Blood test - Shutterstock
(Credit: Barbara Ash/Shutterstock)

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

When the pandemic began, medical workers knew very little about how to take care of patients — including who might have the greatest risk of getting seriously ill.

For other illnesses, healthcare workers are used to having information that helps determine which patients might need the most care and support. "We didn’t have any evidence, and that’s a scary place for anyone to be in," says Nicholas Tatonetti, a biomedical informatics researcher at Columbia University. So, researchers around the world dove into the data hospitals were collecting on their COVID-19 patients to figure out what traits and qualities might predict how sick individuals became. 

0 free articles left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

0 free articlesSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

Stay Curious

Sign up for our weekly newsletter and unlock one more article for free.

 

View our Privacy Policy


Want more?
Keep reading for as low as $1.99!


Log In or Register

Already a subscriber?
Find my Subscription

More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2024 Kalmbach Media Co.