Association of ABO and Rhesus Blood Groups with the Severity of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Cross-sectional Analytical Study
Correspondence Address :
Zahra Hosseini-khah,
Razi Street, Emam Khomeini Hospital, Sari, Mazandaran, Iran.
E-mail: zahra_582005@yahoo.com; kashi_zahra@yahoo.com
Introduction: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a new strain of RNA viruses causes coronavirus disease in human. Though some studies suggested different blood group types as risk factors for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, the association between blood groups and the COVID-19 infection may not be the same in various societies with different genetic statuses. Also, no studies so far have investigated the relationship between COVID-19 severity and ABO blood groups in Iran and developing countries according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria.
Aim: To evaluate the association between blood types and the severity of COVID-19 infection.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 171 patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 {49 severe (severe or critical) and 122 non severe (mild to moderate)}, who were admitted to hospitals of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran from April 2020 to June 2020. To evaluate the distribution of the blood group, 171 COVID-19 patients were compared with the reported data of Iranian population blood groups. The severity of COVID-19 infection was determined based on WHO criteria including clinical symptoms, radiological findings, and signs of organ dysfunction. The associations between ABO blood groups and the severity of COVID-19, were evaluated using Pearson’s Chi-square.
Results: The distribution of the blood group in 171 patients with COVID-19 was not different compared to the reported general Iranian population blood group (p-value=0.344). Evaluation of the association between ABO blood groups and the severity of COVID-19 showed that patients with blood group type B developed severe COVID-19 infection compared to other blood types who showed mild or moderate conditions (p-value=0.048). Mortality due to COVID-19 was not statistically different between the ABO blood group and Rh (p-value=0.96, p-value=0.27 respectively), but the frequency of patients with Rh-negative that needed intubation and mechanical ventilation was higher compared to Rh-positive patients (p-value=0.003).
Conclusion: A positive correlation was found between blood type B and COVID-19 severity. Also, mechanical ventilation was significantly more in Rh-negative patients.
Intubation, Iran, Severity, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
10.7860/JCDR/2021/51103.15716
Date of Submission: Jun 28, 2021
Date of Peer Review: Jul 28, 2021
Date of Acceptance: Oct 06, 2021
Date of Publishing: Dec 01, 2021
AUTHOR DECLARATION:
• Financial or Other Competing Interests: Funded by Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences [grant number: 7456]
• Was Ethics Committee Approval obtained for this study? Yes
• Was informed consent obtained from the subjects involved in the study? Yes
• For any images presented appropriate consent has been obtained from the subjects. NA
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• Plagiarism X-checker: Jun 30, 2021
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• iThenticate Software: Oct 27, 2021 (13%)
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