PLoS ONE (Jan 2021)

Association of ABO blood groups with presentation and outcomes of confirmed SARS CoV-2 infection: A prospective study in the largest COVID-19 dedicated hospital in Bangladesh.

  • Reaz Mahmud,
  • Mohammad Aftab Rassel,
  • Farhana Binte Monayem,
  • S K Jakaria Been Sayeed,
  • Md Shahidul Islam,
  • Mohammed Monirul Islam,
  • Mohammad Abdullah Yusuf,
  • Sabrina Rahman,
  • K M Nazmul Islam,
  • Imran Mahmud,
  • Mohammad Zaid Hossain,
  • Ahmed Hossain Chowdhury,
  • A K M Humayon Kabir,
  • Kazi Gias Uddin Ahmed,
  • Md Mujibur Rahman

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249252
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 4
p. e0249252

Abstract

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BackgroundGlobally, studies have shown conflicting results regarding the association of blood groups with SARS CoV-2 infection.ObjectiveTo observe the association between ABO blood groups and the presentation and outcomes of confirmed COVID-19 cases.Design, setting, and participantsThis was a prospective cohort study of patients with mild-to-moderately severe COVID-19 infections who presented in the COVID-19 unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital and were enrolled between 01 June and 25 August, 2020. Patients were followed up for at least 30 days after disease onset. We grouped participants with A-positive and A-negative blood groups into group I and participants with other blood groups into group II.ResultsThe cohort included 438 patients; 52 patients were lost to follow-up, five died, and 381 completed the study. The prevalence of blood group A [144 (32.9%)] was significantly higher among COVID-19 patients than in the general population (p ConclusionsThe prevalence of blood group A was higher among COVID-19 patients. Although ABO blood groups were not associated with the presentation or recovery period of COVID-19, patients with blood group A had delayed seroconversion.