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The Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 Vulnerability Association with ABO/Rh Blood Types
Alireza Abdollahi1, Maedeh Mahmoudi-Aliabadi2, Vahid Mehrtash3
1Department of Pathology, Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Insights
The study found a link between ABO blood groups and COVID-19 susceptibility. Individuals with blood group AB had a higher infection rate, while blood group O showed a lower rate. Rh factor did not significantly impact vulnerability.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Medical Genetics
Background:
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a significant global health concern.
- Understanding factors influencing COVID-19 susceptibility is crucial for public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between ABO histo-blood group phenotypes and susceptibility to COVID-19.
- To determine if blood group influences the risk of contracting COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 397 patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
- A control group of 500 individuals from the same medical center before the pandemic.
Main Results:
- ABO blood group phenotypes are correlated with COVID-19 susceptibility.
- Blood group AB showed a higher infection rate, while blood group O showed a lower infection rate.
- Rh blood group phenotype was not a significant factor in COVID-19 vulnerability.
Conclusions:
- An individual's ABO blood group phenotype is connected to their susceptibility to COVID-19.
- Findings suggest a decreased vulnerability for blood group O and increased susceptibility for blood group AB.
- Results align with some previous studies on viral diseases and ABO groups, but show discrepancies with one prior COVID-19 study regarding blood group AB susceptibility.
Background & Objective:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the most recent emerging viral disease. Defining the epidemiological aspects and factors influencing the susceptibility of the patients to COVID-19 has been an ongoing struggle. In the present study, we have investigated the connection between ABO histo-blood group phenotypes and the COVID-19.
Methods:
This study was conducted on 397 patients with confirmed diagnoses of COVID-19 admitted to our center. Also, 500 individuals were selected to form the controls, all of whom had been disclosed to the same medical center in June 2019, before the onset of the outbreak.
Results:
Our results demonstrated ABO histo-blood phenotypes are correlated with patients' susceptibility to the infection. A higher rate of infection was observed among patients with the AB histo-blood group, while patients with the O histo-blood group have shown a lower rate of infection. The Rh blood group phenotype was not statistically significant in determining a patient's vulnerability.
Conclusion:
Similar to several previous studies about other viral diseases' association with ABO histo-blood groups, we have concluded that an individual's ABO histo-blood group phenotype and his/her susceptibility to COVID-19 are indeed connected. So far, only one research has been conducted about this association. Interestingly, while we observed a decreased vulnerability to the disease among patients with an O histo-blood group, we have reached discordant results regarding the increased susceptibility among individuals with an AB histo-blood group, unlike A histo-blood group in the previous study.
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