Relationship between ABO Blood Group and COVID-19: The Case of Siirt

Abstract

Objective: Epidemiological and clinical studies have shown that age and chronic diseases are important risk factors in the mortality of patients infected by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, there is no biomarker identified yet for susceptibility to the disease. Some studies have reported that ABO blood groups are associated with a predisposition to Covid-19. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the relationship between ABO blood groups and COVID-19 susceptibility in Siirt province scale. Methods: In this study, the blood groups of 174 patients, all of whom were in Siirt, were confirmed retrospectively at the Siirt State Hospital, all confirmed by revers-transcriptase chain reaction. For comparison, data from 36394 patients whose blood group was detected in the Siirt State Hospital were used. Results: In Siirt provincial normal population; while blood groups A, B, AB and O were 40%, 19.5%, 8.5% and 32% respectively, the blood groups of COVID-19 positive patients were 42.5%, 19.5%, 8%, and 30%. No statistically significant difference was found in blood group distribution rates between healthy and COVID-19 patient groups (>0.05). The distribution of blood group rates of patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit was not different from healthy individuals (>0.05). No significant difference could be calculated between the duration of hospitalization in the intensive care unit and blood groups. Conclusion: As a result, unlike studies showing that the risk of COVID-19 infection was higher in the A blood group and lower in the O blood group, no relationship was found between the blood group and the risk of COVID-19 infection and intensive care therapy. Combining the results of this study with data from other regions, it is thought that only if the relationship between blood group COVID-19 can be confirmed, it may be a guide for diagnosis, follow-up and treatment.