Influence of Coronavirus Disease 2019 on some Physiological Blood Parameters in Patients with Kidney Failure in Iraq

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2; SARS-CoV-2), which is related to the SARS-CoV-2 and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, which caused serious outbreaks in 2003 and 2012. This study aimed to determine if there is an association between ABO blood types/renal failure and infection with COVID-19. Furthermore, the effects of COVID-19 infection on some blood parameters and electrolyte levels were investigated in this study. In the current study, 90 samples were obtained from males and females aged between 21-68 years old. The data were collected from September to February 2021 in a Kidney Center of Alsaader Teaching Hospital. The participants were divided into three groups (n=30) of A) kidney failure, B) kidney failure with COVID-19, and C) kidney failure with COVID-19 recovery after one month. The variables of this study included blood group types, blood electrolytes, and some blood biochemical parameters. According to the results, regarding the frequency of blood groups, in the control group, 34, 20, 14, and 36 participants belonged to the A , B, AB, and O blood groups, respectively. The recorded data showed that participants who had suffered from kidney failure and were infected with COVID-19 belonged to the A, B, AB, and O blood groups (25%, 10%, 27%, and 45%), respectively, while kidney failure patients who had recovered after one month from COVID-19 had blood groups of A, B, AB, and O (25%, 22%, 105%, and 45%, respectively). The recorded data showed a significant decrease (P<0.05) in the levels of Potassium (K), Sodium (Na), and Calcium (Ca) in the B group, compared to the A group, while the levels of K, Na, and Ca had significantly improved in group C (P<0.05), compared to group B. The Chloride level showed no significant differences among the groups. Furthermore, non-significant differences (P>0.05) were observed in the red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), and white blood cell count (WBC) in the COVID-19 group (Group B), compared to group A; however, there was a significant raise (P<0.05) in WBC and platelet (PLT), as well as a significant decrease (P<0.05) in lymphocyte (LYM), RBC, Hb, and hematocrit (HCT) in group C, compared to groups A and B. In conclusion, blood group O obtained the lowest level of resistance to COVID-19, compared to blood group A which had the highest response to recovery. The COVID-19 patients with kidney failure showed a significant decrease in blood parameters, such as RBCs, Hb, LYM, PLT, HCT, and electrolytes.