Men More Likely to Die of COVID-19

Misbar has discovered there are gender differences when it comes to COVID-19. According to ScienceMag.org, being a man is a risk factor for more severe disease and death from COVID-19. The gender difference is observed in nearly all countries with available sex data, with the exception of India. Even though men and women contract the virus at the same rate, the risk of death in males averages about 1.7 times higher than in females. In at least one study, the number of men who died from COVID-19 was 2.4 times that of women. Aging is strongly associated with higher risk of death in both sexes, but at all ages above 30 years, males have a significantly higher mortality risk, making older males the most vulnerable group.

While some of the gender differences related to COVID-19 may be blamed on different behaviors, it appears much has to do with basic biology according to MDLinx.com. Women have two X chromosomes, men only have one. The X chromosomes are important because they are rich in genes that regulate immune response. Sex hormones also appear to play a role. While estrogen appears to provide some protection from the virus for women, the male hormone androgen may assist the virus in infecting the cells of men according to a study published in AnnalsofOncology.com. 

Except for India, where the COVID-19 fatality rate is worse for women, men around the world are more likely to have more serious complications or die from COVID-19.