A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that coronavirus risk may be tied to blood type, and that people with Type A blood fare worse — both in risk of contracting the disease and dealing with its complications.
But a lot of Americans don’t appear to know their own blood type.
A survey last year by medical testing company Quest Diagnostics found that only 57 percent of American adults knew whether they were A, B, AB or O. That compares with 74 percent who could remember their Wi-Fi password.
But there are plenty of reasons in addition to pandemic risks to know your blood type. Here are some of them - and how people in the Bay Area can find out what theirs is.
What determines your blood type?
Blood types categorize your blood according to the antigens it contains, including the Rhesus, or Rh, factor.
Antigens are a type of protein on red blood cells. Based on the type of antigen, your blood is categorized as Type A, Type B, Type AB, or Type O.
The Rh factor determines the positive and negative signs next to your blood type. If you have the Rh factor on your red blood cells, you are considered Rh positive (+), and if you don’t, you’re Rh negative (-).
You inherit your blood type from your parents, though there can be many combinations and yours won’t necessarily be the same.
Why it’s important to know your blood type
There are several important reasons to know your blood type. They include:
Donating blood. Your blood type indicates who you can safely donate blood to or receive blood from.
Your immune system will identify antigens on donated blood to determine whether it’s a match. Receiving the wrong blood type can set off an immediate immune-system response that can be severe and even life-threatening.
O positive is the most common blood type, and O negative is an universal donor — which means it can be given to anyone during a transfusion but can only receive from its kind.
You can find more information about your particular blood type from this Johns Hopkins University fact sheet.
Pregnancy. During pregnancy, the mother’s and baby’s Rh status must match to prevent the mother’s immune system from reacting as if it’s allergic to the baby. In severe cases, mismatched Rh status can cause serious complications. However, preventive treatment can avoid such reactions.
Identifying health risks. Blood type is thought to play a role in a variety of medical conditions, including COVID-19. Epidemiologists have long known that one’s blood type plays a significant role in how a person might react to infectious diseases.
The study published June 17 in the New England Journal of Medicine found that people with Type O blood — who are less likely to develop inflammation during infection, suffer from heart disease and other severe ailments — were more protected from the coronavirus.
Type A — the type most associated with a high risk of complications from the coronavirus — is also associated with certain cancers, higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and malaria.
According to the University of Pennsylvania medical system, blood type can be tied to other health issues, including:
• Those with A, B and AB blood types have a 6.2% greater likelihood of developing coronary heart disease than people with Type O.
• Types A, B and AB are also linked to an 82% greater likelihood of memory problems than Type O.
• Those with AB blood are 21% more likely to develop stomach cancer than those with other blood types.
How you can find out your blood type
Home test: You can purchase a DIY test online or in most drugstores. The test involves a small prick of the finger with a sharp instrument — and results are available in less than 5 minutes.
Donate blood: If you donate blood, you’ll get a blood type test. If you’ve donated in the past, you can call the blood bank to figure out your blood type.
Hospital or doctor records: You may have been tested for your blood type before — or it could have been listed in your medical record if you’ve had surgery. (You can also ask your doctor for a blood type screening).
Prenatal care: During a pregnancy, OB/GYNs routinely give blood type tests to determine Rh factor compatibility.
Annie Vainshtein is a San Francisco Chronicle reporter. Email: avainshtein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @annievain
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