{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T22:45:05Z","timestamp":1784760305664,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,31]],"date-time":"2025-07-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1753920000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100019345","name":"King Salman Center for Disability Research","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["KSRG-2023-305"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["KSRG-2023-305"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100019345","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: COVID-19 is associated with coagulopathy and increased mortality. The ABO blood group system has been implicated in modulating susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease severity, but its relationship with viral RNAemia, spike gene mutations, and thrombosis remains underexplored. Methods: We analyzed 446 hospitalized COVID-19 patients between 2021 and 2022. SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia was assessed via RT-qPCR on whole blood, and spike gene mutations were identified through whole-genome sequencing in RNAemia-positive samples. ABO blood groups were determined by agglutination testing, and thrombotic events were evaluated using coagulation markers. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests and Kruskal\u2013Wallis tests, with significance set at p &lt; 0.05. Results: RNAemia was detected in 26.9% of patients, with no significant association with ABO blood group (p = 0.175). Omicron was the predominant variant, especially in blood group A (62.5%). The N501Y mutation was the most prevalent in group O (53.2%), and K417N was most prevalent in group B (36.9%), though neither reached statistical significance. Thrombotic events were significantly more common in blood group A (OR = 2.08, 95% CI = 1.3\u20133.4, p = 0.002), particularly among RNAemia-positive patients. Conclusions: ABO blood group phenotypes, particularly group A, may influence thrombotic risk in the context of SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia. While no direct association was found between blood group and RNAemia or spike mutations, the observed trends suggest potential host\u2013pathogen interactions. Integrating ABO typing and RNAemia screening may enhance risk stratification and guide targeted thromboprophylaxis in COVID-19 patients.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens14080758","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,8,6]],"date-time":"2025-08-06T07:45:11Z","timestamp":1754466311000},"page":"758","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Association Between ABO Blood Groups and SARS-CoV-2 RNAemia, Spike Protein Mutations, and Thrombotic Events in COVID-19 Patients"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8922-0143","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Esra\u2019a","family":"Abudouleh","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tarek","family":"Owaidah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1765-4310","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fatimah","family":"Alhamlan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infection and Immunity, Research Centre, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Arwa A.","family":"Al-Qahtani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU), Riyadh 11432, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dalia","family":"Al Sarar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7081-7209","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abdulrahman","family":"Alkathiri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology Science, Microbiology, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shouq","family":"Alghannam","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Applied Genomics Technologies Institute, Health Sector, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Riyadh 12354, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Arwa","family":"Bagasi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11433, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5040-6303","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manal M.","family":"Alkhulaifi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4584-5739","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ahmed A.","family":"Al-Qahtani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Infection and Immunity, Research Centre, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh 11211, Saudi Arabia"},{"name":"Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"724","DOI":"10.35741\/issn.0258-2724.56.4.61","article-title":"The potential of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission in Medan city, Indonesia","volume":"56","author":"Syapitri","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. 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