Scientists now say your blood type may determine how likely you are to get COVID-19.

A team of European scientists found people with Type A blood are 45% more likely than people with other types of blood to come down with the virus.

Those people are also more likely to develop severe symptoms. However, it is not clear exactly why.

The study also found people with Type O blood are less likely to get the infection. But clinicians say the difference in blood type doesn't give certain people immunity over others.

The study was published on Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine. The study utilized nearly 2,000 COVID-19 patients in Europe and compared them to those who were not sick.

Dr. Frederick Davis, associate chair of emergency medicine at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, says he sees the results as a positive, but it does not paint the full picture of what causes people to become infected.

"I do agree that it has some source of validity but it needs further evaluation and investigation to learn more about it," says Davis.

 

Davis says no matter your blood type, people need to continue taking the same precautions they always have.

"You still should take the same precautions as you would wearing a mask, washing your hands, avoiding close contact with people, because it doesn't say you are immune to this virus," he says.

Survivor Corps founder Diana Berrent says the study is important, but that people should temper their reactions to it.

"There is so much to be learned about the nature of the blood and the genetic components that might make us more or less susceptible to the disease," says Berrent.

Researchers say these findings could be useful for designing drugs or vaccines for the virus.