Background: Host genetic factors, particularly polymorphisms in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region, have been implicated in influencing individual susceptibility to infectious diseases, including COVID‑19. This study investigated the distribution of HLA‑A alleles in an Iraqi cohort to determine their association with COVID‑19 susceptibility.

Methods: Using a sequence‑specific oligonucleotide (SSO‑PCR) assay, we genotyped HLA‑A alleles in COVID‑19 patients and control individuals. A comparison of allele frequencies occurred between different groups using odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals and p-values assessed the strength of identified associations.

Results: The study established a major link between HLA‑A03:01 since this human leukocyte antigen type occurred more frequently in COVID-19 patients with an OR of 6.33 (95% CI: 1.28–31.11) at p = 0.01. This indicates a heightened risk factor for SARS‑CoV‑2 infection. HLA‑A29:01 showed higher occurrence in the control subjects than patient participants thus indicating increased protection from infection (OR = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.74–0.96, p = 0.02). The study indicated that the relationship between HLA-A*32:01 at borderline significance (p = 0.05) implied lower risk susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection.