Susceptibility of ABO blood group to COVID-19 infections: clinico-hematological, radiological, and complications analysis

Association Between ABO and Rh Blood Groups and SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Severe COVID-19 Illness: A Population-Based Cohort Study: Annals of Internal Medicine: Vol 174, No 3

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, research indicates that the COVID-19 disease susceptibility varies among individuals depending on their ABO blood groups. Researchers globally commenced investigating potential methods to stratify cases according to prognosis depending on several clinical parameters. Since there is evidence of a link between ABO blood groups and disease susceptibility, it could be argued that there is a link between blood groups and disease manifestation and progression. The current study investigates whether clinical manifestation, laboratory, and imaging findings vary among ABO blood groups of hospitalized confirmed COVID-19 patients.

This retrospective cohort study was conducted between March 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 in King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre Riyadh and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Demographic information, clinical information, laboratory findings, and imaging investigations were extracted from the data warehouse for all confirmed COVID-19 patients.

A total of 285 admitted patients were included in the study. Of these, 81 (28.4%) were blood group A, 43 (15.1%) were blood group B, 11 (3.9%) were blood group AB, and 150 (52.6%) were blood group O. This was almost consistent with the distribution of blood groups among the Saudi Arabia community. The majority of the study participants (79.6% [n = 227]) were asymptomatic. The upper respiratory tract infection (P = .014) and shortness of breath showed statistically significant differences between the ABO blood group (P = .009). Moreover, the incidence of the symptoms was highly observed in blood group O followed by A then B except for pharyngeal exudate observed in blood group A. The one-way ANOVA test indicated that among the studied hematological parameters, glucose (P = .004), absolute lymphocyte count (P = .001), and IgA (P = .036) showed statistically significant differences between the means of the ABO blood group. The differences in both X-ray and computed tomography scan findings were statistically nonsignificant among the ABO age group. Only 86 (30.3%) patients were admitted to an intensive care unit, and the majority of them were blood groups O 28.7% (n = 43) and A 37.0% (n = 30). However, the differences in complications’ outcomes were statistically nonsignificant among the ABO age group.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8718246/

ABO blood groups among hospitalized COVID-19 patients are not associated with clinical, hematological, radiological, and complications abnormality.

The multicenter retrospective research of Hoiland et al aimed at investigating if ABO blood types are linked to various severities of COVID-19 among ICU admitted patients and found that critically sick COVID-19 patients with blood group A or AB had a higher chance of needing MV and prolonged ICU length of stay compared with patients with blood groups O or B. [31] There were no significant variations in rates of ICU admissions, MV, vasopressors, acute renal failure, venous thromboembolism, and readmission rate between blood types A and O, according to Kumar et al.[32] Non-O classes had a slightly higher infection prevalence, according to Zietz et al. When compared to type O, the risk of intubation was lower for type A and higher for types of AB and B. In contrast, the mortality risk was higher for type AB and lower for types A and B. Having a Rh-negative blood type protects an individual from all three consequences.[33]

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The rapid global spread of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has strained healthcare and testing resources, making the identification and prioritization of individuals most at-risk a critical challenge. Recent evidence suggests blood type may affect risk of severe COVID-19. Here, we use observational healthcare data on 14,112 individuals tested for SARS-CoV-2 with known blood type in the New York Presbyterian (NYP) hospital system to assess the association between ABO and Rh blood types and infection, intubation, and death. We find slightly increased infection prevalence among non-O types. Risk of intubation was decreased among A and increased among AB and B types, compared with type O, while risk of death was increased for type AB and decreased for types A and B. We estimate Rh-negative blood type to have a protective effect for all three outcomes. Our results add to the growing body of evidence suggesting blood type may play a role in COVID-19.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33188185/