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How likely are you to catch COVID-19 on an airplane? What impact does blood type have on the virus?

2 new studies released regarding coronavirus

DETROIT – There are two new studies you should know about when it comes to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The first is a study that might help ease your mind about the likelihood of being exposed to COVID-19 on an airplane.

The second is a look at the possible impact blood type could have on your COVID-19 risk.

COVID-19 exposure on airplanes

With holiday travel season approaching, many people will be flying to visit family and friends -- even though COVID-19 cases are surging across much of the nation.

New results from an independent military study may provide a shot of confidence for those traveling by air. The military said 300 tests were conducted on united planes with mannequins simulating passengers both masked and unmasked.

Each experiment releasing 180 million air particles, that’s equivalent to thousands of coughs. When seated, with masks on, only .001 percent of those particles actually made their way into another passenger’s “breathing zone.” That means 99.99 percent were filtered out of the cabin within six minutes.

There are 36 states, and Washington DC, that are seeing double-digit increases in COVID-19 cases over the past week.

Oct. 15, 2020 -- Michigan coronavirus cases up to 141,091; Death toll now at 6,973

COVID-19 and blood type

There is new research suggesting your blood type may affect your risk when it comes to COVID-19.

Two studies published Wednesday suggest people with type O blood may be less affected by COVID-19. Danish researchers sampled almost half a million COVID-19 tests and found people with other blood types were more likely to test positive than those with type O.

A second Canadian study found people with O or B blood appear to have less severe symptoms. It even found that of the 95 critically ill patients involved in there study, those with A and AB type blood were more likely to require dialysis and to be put on a ventilator.

It’s important to note that there is no evidence to suggest that any blood type is either totally protected or cursed. But there does seem to be mounting evidence that blood type does have an impact.

READ: Continuing COVID-19 coverage


About the Authors
Frank McGeorge, MD headshot

Dr. McGeorge can be seen on Local 4 News helping Metro Detroiters with health concerns when he isn't helping save lives in the emergency room at Henry Ford Hospital.

Kayla Clarke headshot

Kayla is a Web Producer for ClickOnDetroit. Before she joined the team in 2018 she worked at WILX in Lansing as a digital producer.

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