Why are more men dying from COVID-19 infections than women!
By: Team Ifairer | Posted: 20-04-2020
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Sex differences in diseases - the big picture
Sex differences in the frequency, severity and treatment efficacy for many diseases were pointed out long ago. COVID-19 is part of a larger pattern in which males lose out - at every age. This isn't just humans - it is true of most mammals. Are sex differences in disease susceptibility simply the by-catch of genetic and hormone differences? Or were they, like many other traits, selected differently in males and females because of differences in life strategy?
It's suggested that male mammals spread their genes by winning competitions for mates, hence hormone control of risky behaviour is a plus for men. It's also suggested female mammals are selected for traits that enhance their ability to care for young, hence their stronger immune system. This made sense for most mammals through the ages.
So the sex bias in COVID-19 deaths is part of a much larger picture - and a very much older picture - of sex differences in genes, chromosomes and hormones that lead to very different responses to all sorts of disease, including COVID-19.
Jenny Graves, Distinguished Professor of Genetics, La Trobe University
Source: firstpost