A HMC study rules out blood group link to COVID-19

A team of healthcare experts in Qatar have undertaken a study to explore the connection between blood types and clinical outcomes in COVID-19 patients who are critically ill. The study found that there was no link between ABO blood groups and unfavorable clinical outcomes in such patients. However, the Rh-negative blood type was found to be associated with a slightly lower risk of death compared to the Rh-positive blood type. The study, titled “Association between blood groups and clinical outcomes in critically ill COVID-19 patients: A retrospective study”, was conducted on more than 848 COVID-19

patients who were admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) at Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital. Although the proportion of severe acute COVID-19 cases who become critically ill is low, several studies have examined the relationship between blood groups and COVID-19 outcomes. This study retrospectively analyzed electronic health records of COVID-19 patients admitted to ICUs at the hospital between March 7, 2020 and July 15, 2020. The findings were published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Acute Care.