Blood type susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 at a tertiary hospital in Accra, Ghana
ABSTRACT Pandemics from viral outbreaks, such as that caused by SARS-CoV-2, have significant impacts worldwide. The factors that underlie differential susceptibility to severe COVID-19 outcomes are not fully understood. The role of the ABO blood group in the outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infections remains...
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American Society for Microbiology
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Microbiology Spectrum |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.01108-24 |
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| author | Prince N. Odoom Olayinka S. Okoh Yaa Y. Asare Clara O. Mac-Arthur Judith D. Azumah Albert Mensah Akua K. Yalley Kwamena W. Sagoe Nicholas I. Nii-Trebi |
| author_facet | Prince N. Odoom Olayinka S. Okoh Yaa Y. Asare Clara O. Mac-Arthur Judith D. Azumah Albert Mensah Akua K. Yalley Kwamena W. Sagoe Nicholas I. Nii-Trebi |
| author_sort | Prince N. Odoom |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Pandemics from viral outbreaks, such as that caused by SARS-CoV-2, have significant impacts worldwide. The factors that underlie differential susceptibility to severe COVID-19 outcomes are not fully understood. The role of the ABO blood group in the outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infections remains to be clarified in different populations. This study described the SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and examined the association of the ABO blood group with COVID-19 disease among apparently healthy and COVID-19 patients at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra. The study involved 277 participants comprising 200 healthy individuals and 77 PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients with mild or severe symptoms. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody assay (IgM/IgG) was performed, and ABO blood grouping was done on plasma samples using the reverse blood grouping method. Statistical analyses were performed in R for the association of socio-demographic parameters and ABO blood groupings of participants with SARS-CoV-2 infection status. The total SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity was 61.4% (157/277). Most of the participants (245/277, 88.4%) were unvaccinated. Of the 245 unvaccinated individuals, 127 (51.8%) were IgG reactive. A significant association was observed between ABO blood group and COVID-19 disease status. Antigen A participants had a higher probability of symptomatic infection than non-antigen A individuals. Blood group O appeared more protective than other blood types among the participants. Seropositivity was high among the participants studied—vaccinated and unvaccinated. Blood group A is associated with an increased risk of COVID-19, whereas blood group O appears protective. Further studies involving larger sample sizes are required to confirm these findings.IMPORTANCEThe transmissibility and virulence of SARS-CoV-2 and the severity of COVID-19 disease appeared to vary across nations and among populations. However, the factors that account for the differential susceptibility and COVID-19 outcomes are not well understood. The roles of host immune defense mechanisms and genetic makeup have been implicated. This study investigated the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (IgM and IgG) in apparently healthy individuals and COVID-19 patients; using a reliable but inexpensive blood group typing based on direct hemagglutination technique and rigorous statistical analyses, we determined the association of ABO blood groups with COVID-19 disease. We found appreciably high seropositivity among the participants studied—both vaccinated and unvaccinated—and showed that blood type significantly influences SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity, with blood group A associated with severe COVID-19 disease, whereas blood group O appears protective. Further studies involving a larger sample size are required to confirm these findings. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1cb07d65d1244ad983e9af806cbfcdfc |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2165-0497 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microbiology Spectrum |
| spelling | doaj-art-1cb07d65d1244ad983e9af806cbfcdfc2025-08-20T03:52:32ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologyMicrobiology Spectrum2165-04972025-05-0113510.1128/spectrum.01108-24Blood type susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 at a tertiary hospital in Accra, GhanaPrince N. Odoom0Olayinka S. Okoh1Yaa Y. Asare2Clara O. Mac-Arthur3Judith D. Azumah4Albert Mensah5Akua K. Yalley6Kwamena W. Sagoe7Nicholas I. Nii-Trebi8Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, GhanaDepartment of Chemical Sciences, Anchor University, Lagos, NigeriaDepartment of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, GhanaDepartment of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, GhanaDepartment of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, GhanaDepartment of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, GhanaDepartment of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, GhanaDepartment of Medical Microbiology, University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, GhanaDepartment of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, GhanaABSTRACT Pandemics from viral outbreaks, such as that caused by SARS-CoV-2, have significant impacts worldwide. The factors that underlie differential susceptibility to severe COVID-19 outcomes are not fully understood. The role of the ABO blood group in the outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infections remains to be clarified in different populations. This study described the SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence and examined the association of the ABO blood group with COVID-19 disease among apparently healthy and COVID-19 patients at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra. The study involved 277 participants comprising 200 healthy individuals and 77 PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients with mild or severe symptoms. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody assay (IgM/IgG) was performed, and ABO blood grouping was done on plasma samples using the reverse blood grouping method. Statistical analyses were performed in R for the association of socio-demographic parameters and ABO blood groupings of participants with SARS-CoV-2 infection status. The total SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity was 61.4% (157/277). Most of the participants (245/277, 88.4%) were unvaccinated. Of the 245 unvaccinated individuals, 127 (51.8%) were IgG reactive. A significant association was observed between ABO blood group and COVID-19 disease status. Antigen A participants had a higher probability of symptomatic infection than non-antigen A individuals. Blood group O appeared more protective than other blood types among the participants. Seropositivity was high among the participants studied—vaccinated and unvaccinated. Blood group A is associated with an increased risk of COVID-19, whereas blood group O appears protective. Further studies involving larger sample sizes are required to confirm these findings.IMPORTANCEThe transmissibility and virulence of SARS-CoV-2 and the severity of COVID-19 disease appeared to vary across nations and among populations. However, the factors that account for the differential susceptibility and COVID-19 outcomes are not well understood. The roles of host immune defense mechanisms and genetic makeup have been implicated. This study investigated the seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies (IgM and IgG) in apparently healthy individuals and COVID-19 patients; using a reliable but inexpensive blood group typing based on direct hemagglutination technique and rigorous statistical analyses, we determined the association of ABO blood groups with COVID-19 disease. We found appreciably high seropositivity among the participants studied—both vaccinated and unvaccinated—and showed that blood type significantly influences SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity, with blood group A associated with severe COVID-19 disease, whereas blood group O appears protective. Further studies involving a larger sample size are required to confirm these findings.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.01108-24SARS-CoV-2COVID-19 susceptibilityseroprevalenceblood donorsblood grouping |
| spellingShingle | Prince N. Odoom Olayinka S. Okoh Yaa Y. Asare Clara O. Mac-Arthur Judith D. Azumah Albert Mensah Akua K. Yalley Kwamena W. Sagoe Nicholas I. Nii-Trebi Blood type susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 at a tertiary hospital in Accra, Ghana Microbiology Spectrum SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 susceptibility seroprevalence blood donors blood grouping |
| title | Blood type susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 at a tertiary hospital in Accra, Ghana |
| title_full | Blood type susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 at a tertiary hospital in Accra, Ghana |
| title_fullStr | Blood type susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 at a tertiary hospital in Accra, Ghana |
| title_full_unstemmed | Blood type susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 at a tertiary hospital in Accra, Ghana |
| title_short | Blood type susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 at a tertiary hospital in Accra, Ghana |
| title_sort | blood type susceptibility to sars cov 2 at a tertiary hospital in accra ghana |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 susceptibility seroprevalence blood donors blood grouping |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.01108-24 |
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