Why Do Twice As Many Men Die From Covid?

A new study looks at why twice as many men as women die from Covid

Studies abound which show that nearly twice as many men as women who contract a severe strain of Covid-19 die from the virus, but new research from the Yale University School of Medicine and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute may just have uncovered why this is the case. The new study, published in the Science journal, suggests that the answer is not straight-forward, but rather depends on a number of factors such as biology, social roles and behavioural factors.

“Immune cells or even the immune system are differentially affected by aging, depending on sex. Aging induces a decrease in the proportion of naïve T cells which is more prominent in men and B cells decrease after 65 years only in men,” explained the report.

Men experience a sudden change in their immune system between the ages of 62 and 64, explained the researchers, which may leave them more vulnerable to the virus. Furthermore, women’s bodies have more of the protective hormone oestrogen, which “could have antiviral implications for those receiving hormone therapies,” according to Ser. This has huge implications in patients with sexual development disorders or transgender people receiving hormone therapy, as their treatments could have antiviral implications.

“It is important that studies of Covid-19 patients report results in a six-disaggregated manner, not only to elucidate differential pathogens of the disease, but also to allow a deeper understanding of this disease and the eventual development of better treatment and prevention strategies,” the authors of the report concluded.

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