The Relationship between ABO Blood Group Type and the COVID-19 Susceptibility in Qatif Central Hospital, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Introduction: It has been found that the viral infection is linked to the ABO blood group. Limited studies investigated the relationship of the ABO blood group and susceptibility to COVID-19 infection. Objective: To investigate the association between the ABO blood group and the COVID-19 susceptibility. Material & Methods: The study is a retrospective cohort study. It included all hospitalized confirmed COVID-19 patients in Qatif central hospital, Eastern province, Saudi Arabia. We included both genders and people who are older than 14 years of age. The study was conducted in the period between 15 th March, and 15 th April, 2020. Results: Our sample consists of 72 patients; we found a percentage distribution of 23.62%, 33.33%, 9.72%, and 33.33% for blood groups A, B, AB and O, respectively. Our results showed significantly increased risk for AB blood groups (P < 0.05) and significantly lower risk for the O blood group (P < 0.05). Although there was a higher percentage distribution of the B blood group among COVID-19 patients as compared to the blood donors' groups, this difference did not reach statistical significance. There was no significant difference in the risk of COVID-19 in blood group A with a distribution of 23.60% in blood donors' group, and 23.62% in COVID-19 patients. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that among confirmed COVID-19 patients, patients with AB blood group have higher susceptibility while patients with O blood group have lower susceptibility to COVID-19 infection. Our study has limitations and further studies are needed.

Demographic Characteristics of 1082 Positive Cases of COVID-19 Patients: Experience at National Referral Laboratory of Bangladesh

“…In SARS-CoV-2 positive cases of us, there is a high proportion of blood group B. This finding is consistent with similar study of Saudi Arabia 24 .…”

The Lebanese COVID-19 Cohort; A Challenge for the ABO Blood Group System

“…Primarily, in this study we reassured the previously established pattern of the ABO blood groups distribution in our population by showing that blood group O is the predominant one (17). Yet, blood group A was the most prevalent blood group among our COVID-19 cohort (40.4%, P < 0.001) which is consistent with previous reports (18). This association lost it significance when the distribution of the blood groups among the control cases was taken into consideration.…”

“…Thus, since the distribution of blood groups among our COVID-19 patients showed a comparable scattering pattern with that of the general population, the significance of the association between blood groups and the susceptibility to the infection was not distinguished (19). In this regard, it should be well-noted that some of the previously conveyed data did not account for the distribution of blood groups among their general population while those who took into consideration this calculation involved low representing numbers that might not be sufficient for a significant reflection to the entire population (9,18,20). Moreover, discrepancies between the conveyed results prevented a firm agreement on a specific blood group to be a risk factor for acquiring SARS-CoV-2.…”

“…Moreover, discrepancies between the conveyed results prevented a firm agreement on a specific blood group to be a risk factor for acquiring SARS-CoV-2. Although initially blood group A was proposed as a the risk factor for contracting COVID-19, yet, subsequent studies from Iran, Saudi and Shenzhen has proposed that AB individuals are rather at higher risk to acquire this disease as compared to other blood groups (18,21). This inconsistent association could be explained by the different epidemiological patterns among various ethnicities which pinpoint on the importance of including larger cohorts from different populations for more precise associations and conclusions.…”

Covid-19 and blood groups: ABO antibody levels may also matter

“…Studies from China and other parts of the world (USA, Turkey, Europe, Middle Eastern countries) have reported a relationship between the ABO blood group and the susceptibility to Covid-19. Despite some discrepancies, they showed a general trend that the risk of developing a SARS-CoV-2 infection was higher for individuals with type A blood and lower for those with type O blood ( Abdollahi et al, 2020 , Aljanobi et al, 2020 , Boudin et al, 2020 , Dzik et al, 2020 , Ellinghaus et al, 2020 , Gallian et al, 2020 , Göker et al, 2020 , Latz et al, 2020 , Leaf et al, 2020 , Li et al, 2020 , Shelton et al, 2020 , Valenti et al, 2020 , Wu et al, 2020 , Zeng et al, 2020 , Zhao et al, 2020 , Zietz et al, 2020 ). A similar lower risk for blood group O individuals had previously been observed in Hong Kong during the first major SARS outbreak, in 2003 ( Cheng et al, 2005 ).…”