JOPIC
Journal of Pulmonology and Intensive Care

The JoPIC is an independent-unbiased, peer-reviewed, and open-access journal of current national and international issues and reviews for original clinical and experimental research, interesting case reports, surgical techniques, differential diagnoses, editorial opinions, letters to the editor, and educational papers in pulmonology, thoracic surgery, occupational diseases, allergology, and intensive care medicine.

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Original Article
The relationship between the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia and ABO blood groups
Abstract
Aims: It is known that the distribution of ABO blood groups creates significant differences in viral infections and that blood group type can also be used as a biomarker to predict the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between disease severity and blood groups in patients diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia.
Methods: Designed as a retrospective cohort study, our study included patients who were admitted to the Pulmonology Department of Kütahya Health Sciences University Evliya Çelebi Training and Research Hospital for inpatient treatment with a diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia between 31.03.2020 and 30.09.20 and sociodemographic characteristics, blood group, Rh status, admission information, and CT findings were recorded from electronic patient records. Blood group characteristics were examined in the categorization based on the radiologically defined severity classification of COVID-19 pneumonia.
Results: The study group consisted of 93 men (47.2%) and 104 women (52.8%). Regarding blood type distribution, 50 (25.4%) patients had type 0, 105 (53.3%) had type A, 26 (13.2%) had type B, and 16 (8.1%) had type AB. The blood group distribution according to the Rh factor was 25 (12.7%) Rh (-) and 172 (87.3%) Rh (+). No statistically significant difference was found in the distribution of COVID-19 pneumonia severity on chest computed tomography (CT) based on blood groups (p=0.200). No statistically significant difference was found in the relationship between COVID-19 pneumonia severity on chest CT and the Rh factor (p=0.283). On the other hand, when the relationship between the Rh factor and COVID-19 severity was examined, it was found that patients in the Rh (-) group had a longer intensive care unit (ICU) stay (p=0.001), a higher rate of high-flow oxygen requirement during follow-up (p=0.03), and a higher mortality rate (p=0.02) compared to the Rh (+) group.
Conclusion: We have determined that there is no association between ABO blood group distribution characteristics and the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia, but there may be a prognostic association between the Rh factor and the severity of COVID-19.

Keywords : COVID-19, pneumonia, ABO blood group, Rh, SARS-CoV-2

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Article available in :
Volume 4, Issue 3, 2026
Page : 73-78
https://doi.org/10.51271/JOPIC-0084
Article Information
Received : 24 May 2026
Accepted : 25 Tem 2026
Published : 20 Ağu 2026
Corresponding Author :

Ümran Erbay: Department of Chest Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Kütahya Health Sciences University, Kütahya, Turkiye

[email protected]
Citation : Toru Erbay U¨, Parspur S¸E, Marım F, et al. The relationship between the severity of COVID-19 pneumonia and ABO blood groups. J Pulmonol Intens Care. 2026;4(3):73-78. doi:10.51271/JOPIC-0084

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