RESUMO
AimTo examine ABO and Rh blood group distribution in COVID-19 related deaths considering demographics and pathological conditions. Materials and MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study at the University Hospital Centre Split, Croatia, that included 245 COVID-positive individuals that died from April 8, 2020, to January 25, 2021. From the hospital database, we extracted data on their blood groups, demographics, and pre-existing comorbidities. To compare findings with the general population, we used information from collected blood group donations (n = 101357) and statistical reports of non-COVID deaths from 2019 (n = 4968). ResultsThe proportion of males was significantly higher in analyzed subjects than in non- COVID deaths from 2019 (63.7% vs. 48.9%, P < 0.001), while the proportion of older individuals did not differ (P = 0.8). The most common pre-existing diseases were hypertension (59.6%), diabetes (37.1%), heart failure (28.8%), digestive disorder (26.5%), and solid tumor (21.6%). The ABO distribution in the deceased and donors group showed statistically significant differences, with the higher prevalence of A/AB group and lower prevalence of 0, but with individual differences significant only for AB and non-AB groups. There was a significantly reduced proportion of females within the deceased with group 0 (P = 0.014) and a higher proportion of AB individuals with coronary heart disease (P = 0.024), while other differences were not significant. ConclusionThe study confirmed a higher risk of death in male individuals. The lower proportion of type 0 in deceased individuals was more pronounced in females, implying that group 0 is not necessarily an independent protective factor. Among analyzed comorbidities, coronary heart disease was identified as a potential risk factor for AB individuals.