Blood Groups of Recipients of COVID-19 Convalescent plasma

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Abstract Introduction/Objective COVID -19 Convalescent plasma therapy (CCP) is under an FDA Emergency Use Authorization to treat hospitalized patients with COVID-19. However, being ill enough to require hospitalization for COVID-19 is a negative outcome. There is also contradictory literature on whether ABO blood group is associated with worse outcomes with COVID-19 disease. Therefore, we share a regional Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC) experience comparing the blood groups of patients intended to receive CCP to a control group of patients positive for SARS-CoV-2. Methods/Case Report A retrospective review of all patients who had CCP ordered in the year 2020 was performed to identify the blood group of these patients, which was compared to a control population of positive patients early in the pandemic (March 17th, 2020 to May 20th, 2020). Results (if a Case Study enter NA) A total of 15 patients had CCP ordered as part of their care with an age range of 56-85 (average 69.7) years of age, entirely male composition, and a racial breakdown of 13 African Americans (86.7%), 1 Caucasian American (6.7%), and 1 Asian American (6.7%). The blood group distribution amongst these 15 patients for CCP was 1 AB+ (6.7%), 5 A+ (33.3%), 4 B+ (26.7%), and 5 O+ (33.3%). The unrelated control population consisted of 81 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients whose blood groups were distributed as 3 group AB (3.7%), 21 group A (25.9%), 15 group B (18.5%), and 42 group O (51.8%). A Chi squared test did not show a statistically significant difference between the two groups in ABO composition. Conclusion The ABO proportions of patients for whom CCP was ordered compared to the control group was not statistically significant. This provides support to the literature arguing that ABO may not be related to worse outcomes such as hospitalization or need for CCP transfusion.