Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Coronavirus hits men harder. Here's what scientists know about it

Coronavirus hits men harder. Here's what scientists know about it

The early evidence leaves little doubt that Covid-19 poses a greater risk to men – but are the reasons biological or cultural, asks science writer Philip Ball
The coronavirus crisis seems to be placing everything under a harsh, unforgiving spotlight: economic inequality, the vulnerabilities of healthcare systems, the fragility of globalisation and the challenges of dealing with scientific uncertainty. Here’s another issue for that list: men’s health.

It’s no secret that males are in many respects the frailer sex. On average, men die younger and are at more risk of life-threatening ailments, especially heart disease and many forms of cancer. The Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus seems to follow the same pattern. In all six of the countries that, up to 20 March, had sex-specific records of deaths from Covid-19, the proportion of men was higher than women. For four of those (China, France, Italy and South Korea), male mor
tality rates were more than 50% greater than female rates.

It’s best not to place too much trust in the exact figures: some of the data could be skewed by differences in the extent of testing, and how deaths are recorded and reported. But there seems good reason to trust the general trend: this coronavirus hits men harder.

We don’t know why – but it doesn’t necessarily reflect differences in biology. Covid-19 is more dangerous for people with existing health issues, particularly cardiovascular or pulmonary (lung-obstructing) problems or hypertension – and these are all conditions that disproportionately affect men.

Part of the reason for that is behavioural: on average, men indulge in more health-damaging habits such as smoking and drinking. Smoking is particularly suspected to cause the higher risk in men: in South Korea, where the ratio of male to female Covid-19 deaths is close to 2:1, the male smoking rate is the highest of all OECD countries, while the female smoking rate is the lowest. It’s possible that other differences in behaviour also play a part – for example, compliance with handwashing advice.

Yet biological differences could well be involved too. Men have weaker immune systems and so are more susceptible to a range of infectious diseases, such as those caused by bacteria. One potential explanation is that sex hormones, which differ in men and women, are involved in the way the immune system triggers an inflammatory response to pathogens.

Based on past pandemics, we would expect that SARS-CoV-2 would pose a greater risk to men. This coronavirus is closely related to the virus that caused the Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak in 2003, for which the mortality rate was significantly higher for men. In Hong Kong, for example, 21.9% of males with the disease died, compared with 13.2% of females. Here too it is possible that the higher proportion of smokers among men contributed to the difference – but one study found that there was also a higher death rate among male mice infected with the Sars virus, suggesting that sex differences in the immune response were responsible too.

There’s still plenty that we don’t understand about the sex differences seen so far for Covid-19. But there is also plenty to reflect on. Sex differences in our vulnerability to this coronavirus and other life-threatening diseases are shaped by social norms and practices. On the one hand, drug testing has neglected women (as well as females in animal tests), sometimes on the grounds that their hormonal cycles “complicate” the results, with the consequence that some approved drugs have had disproportionate and unforeseen side-effects on women. On the other hand, we insist on portraying men as the “stronger sex” to whom seeking medical help is a sign of weakness – until suddenly it’s too late.

Our societies often seem determined to encourage these disparities. Cigarette marketing, at least until the 1980s, targeted men with stereotypes of the rugged, independent male. Today, smoking is seen in China and other Asian countries not just as masculine but as an almost essential aspect of business relations and male bonding. While many problems of gender disparities in global health stem from underrepresentation of women in all sectors, reinforcement of such stereotypes causes problems for both sexes.

And although health conditions fall more heavily on men, they are also less likely to do anything about it. Many studies show that women are considerably more likely to seek healthcare advice. Even though men are at greater risk of many types of cancer, one recent study in the US suggested that only men who had already received a cancer diagnosis used healthcare services as frequently as women. Without making any assumptions about individual cases, the cliche of an ill man who dragged himself prematurely back to work and only made things worse is partly grounded in reality.

The sex differences in susceptibility to Covid-19, then, are a reminder of issues we have long known about but are failing to address. Even the highly incomplete statistics on these differences themselves reflect a failure to recognise longstanding WHO recommendations to separate the numbers by sex, so causes and responses can be better understood. Probably for both biological and cultural reasons, men and women are often affected differently by disease. But until we understand why, we are all the losers.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
×