Prevalence of ABO Blood Type and Outcome in Patients with COVID-19 — A South Indian Institutional Study

Objective : The ABO and Rh blood type systems are linked to a wide range of illnesses, including bacterial, viral, infectious, and malignant conditions. According to several research, COVID-19 predisposition and ABO blood types are related. The objective of the study is to determine the prevalence of the ABO blood group and its association with Covid disease and outcome. Materials and Methods: It is a retrospective and observational cross-sectional study done at the Department of Transfusion Medicine, from January 2021 to December 2021. A total of 504 Covid positive patients admitted during that period were analysed with their laboratory parameters and blood group types. Chi-square test was used to evaluate the data and find the relationship between blood types. Results: 504 admitted patients who were hospitalised during the research period were included. Among these, 216 belonged to blood type O, whereas 111 belonged to blood group A, 149 to blood group B, 28 to blood group AB. The prevalence of blood group O was higher and group AB had a low risk. There were 88 critical care unit patients, their length of critical care unit admission and blood types did not differ significantly. Conclusion: Our study suggests that blood group AB may be protective and that blood group O may be more susceptible to the disease, but that neither of these factors impact the progression of the illness or the likelihood of death. Keywords: ABO blood group, Severity, Covid 19