To the Editor: ABO blood group has been reported
to influence susceptibility to the Norwalk virus and Helicobacter
pylori infections.1,2 The
prevalence of H pylori infection in Taiwan is significantly
higher in patients with blood group O than in those with other blood groups,3 possibly due to a reduced number of H pylori receptors in persons with group A or group B blood. We studied
the relationship between ABO blood group and the development of severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) infection in a group of health
care workers who were exposed to an index SARS patient and who were not wearing
any personal protective equipment.