Corresponding author: Kashif Akbar
Department of Commerce, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Punjab, Pakistan.
Copyright © 2021 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0.
Blood groups and COVID-19: Exploring the link
Syeda Kinza Bukhari
1
, Yusra Ashraf
2
, Shahzeb Nasir
3
and Kashif Akbar
4, *
1
Trainee Medicine, Combined Military Hospital, Multan, and Punjab, Pakistan.
2
District Headquarters Hospital, Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan.
3
Army Medical College, Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan.
4
Department of Commerce, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Punjab, Pakistan.
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2021, 12(02), 267–272
Publication history: Received on 05 October 2021; revised on 08 November 2021; accepted on 10 November 2021
Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2021.12.2.0596
Abstract
The SARS COVID-19 pandemic took the whole world by storm due to its high and rapid infectivity. As it spread, its
patterns became clear, and it became evident that a few individuals were more predisposed to it than others. Showing
a massive inflammatory response by the body, and a negative coagulative affect, doctors and scientists began to perceive
the role of blood cells, and hence blood types in the disease process. This lead to the main objective of this research: to
assess the link between COVID19 infection and blood group types, and follow disease outcome according to it. The study
comprises data collected from patients within 3 hospital setting of Northern Pakistan, viz Military Hospital Rawalpindi,
Benazir Bhutto Hospital Rawalpindi, and Pakistan institute of medical sciences Islamabad. The study was conducted
during a period of 1 month i-e from 15th June 2020 to 15th July 2020 after approval by the worthy Ethical review
committee of PEMH. The study design was Analytical- Case series. Purposive Sampling technique was used. The sample
size was 306 based on WHO sample calculator. Patients who were PCR positive and symptomatic for COVID-19 were
included whereas PCR negative and asymptomatic patients were excluded. SPSS version 25 was used to process the
data and Graphs and Charts were used to explain it. Among 306 patients of COVID 19 the most commonly affected blood
group was A+ve followed by B+ve. The least affected blood group was O of which both positive and negative contributed
to 17.71%. A blood group contributed 36%, while B 35% and AB 10.8%. The study substantiates that blood group A Rh
positive has more susceptibility for SARS COVID-19 infection than other blood group types. Blood group O might have
a protective effect against this infection.
Keywords: COVID-19; Blood Group Types; Coronavirus Pandemic; Healthcare
1. Introduction
The index case of severe acute respiratory syndrome Corona Virus 19 (COVID19) came to light in China in December
2019, and, soon reached a global scale, with a total of 148921 patients in Pakistan by July 2020 [1].
COVID19 is notorious for its high degree of infectivity and uncertain range of symptoms varying from fever, fatigue,
myalgia, dry cough, anorexia, sputum production, pharyngitis, diarrhea, nausea, dizziness, headache, abdominal pain,
or vomiting [2].
However, fever is not necessarily present with many patients having an unnoticeable low grade temperature from 37.5
to 38 degrees Celsius [3]. Less common symptoms included headache without any aura, and rhinorrhea, while many
patients develop acute shortness of breath [4]. However not all patients with dyspnea go on to develop respiratory