ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE ABO BLOOD GROUP AND COVID-19 SUSCEPTIBILITY IN INDIAN POPULATION: A RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 was declared a global crisis by the WHO.  Recent studies have reported variable susceptibility to COVID-19 infections based on blood group. There is a paucity of data on the Indian population regarding the relationship between COVID-19 positivity and blood grouping. The objective was to determine the association between blood groups and the prevalence of COVID-19 positivity.

Methodology: Data was reviewed on all patients who presented to Gurukrupa Hospital, Amravati from March 2020 to June 2021. A total of 772 subjects, between the age groups of 18-91 years were included in the study. COVID-19 positivity, ABO, and Rh typing were determined based on their health records in the institute. The association between COVID-19 positivity and blood group was studied using Chi-square test. The association between COVID-19 positivity and comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension was evaluated using Chi-square test.

Result: In total, 772 patients were included, with the majority being male patients at 61.40%.Among, 772 patients, 150 patients (19.43 %) had diabetes mellitus, as well as 313 patients (40.54%) were found to have hypertension. Based on the analysis, A+, B+, and O+ blood groups showed a higher number of COVID-19 positive results. The incidence of COVID-19 positivity among individuals with hypertension was found to be 48.36%, whereas among those with Diabetes Mellitus, it was 22.64%.

Conclusion: The association between blood groups and COVID-19 infection is complex with multiple factors such as comorbidities, age, sex, and the distribution of blood groups in the population. The prevalence of COVID-19 is greater in hypertensive subjects.