Correlation of SARS-CoV-2 infection severity with ABO blood groups and RhD antigen: a case-control study

Nazaneen Akbar Omer1, Sarwer Jamal Al-Bajalan2, Heshu Sulaiman Rahman3,4

  • 1Department of Medical Biochemistry, College of Medicine, University of Sulaimani, Sulaimaniyah, Iraq.

Insights

This study found no link between blood types (ABO and RhD) and the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or hospitalization risk in Iraqi-Kurdish patients. Blood group does not appear to influence COVID-19 outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Previous research explored links between ABO blood groups and COVID-19 severity.
  • The RhD antigen's role in COVID-19 outcomes also remains an area of interest.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between ABO blood groups and RhD antigen status with symptomatic COVID-19.
  • To determine if specific blood types increase the risk of hospitalization due to COVID-19.

Main Methods:

  • An observational case-control study involving 530 Iraqi-Kurdish COVID-19 patients.
  • Patients were categorized into severe (hospitalized) and mild/moderate (home-treated) groups.
  • Comparison of ABO and RhD antigen distributions with 1698 pre-pandemic control records.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in ABO and RhD antigen distributions were observed between COVID-19 cases and controls.
  • No specific ABO blood group was identified as a risk factor for hospitalization, indicating no association with infection severity.

Conclusions:

  • No significant association was found between symptomatic COVID-19 and ABO blood groups or RhD antigen types.
  • ABO blood groups did not demonstrate an impact on hospitalization rates for COVID-19 patients.
Abstract

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