Coronavirus is sweeping across the globe affecting 199 territories and 2 international conveyances, one pattern remains constant; men are being hit harder by the novel virus than women. Men tend to have severe symptoms or die.
Historically speaking pandemics as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 posed a greater risk to men and novel coronavirus is the member of same family similar behavior is expected. Until now the statistics by Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention show that although men and women are roughly equally infected yet the death rate is 1.7% in women as compared to 2.8% in men. Among severely affected states including Italy, China, South Korea and France male mortality rate is calculated to be fifty [percent more than female.
When it comes to infectious diseases biological differences play a vital role. Mounting a response against infections, men are the weaker sex. Something is more exuberant about female immune system.
Females tend to have stronger immune systems. Researchers suggest that female have two X chromosomes, which happens to hold most of the genes related to immune system. Men on contrary have single X chromosome hence less diverse immune responses. Genes of the genes on extra X are silenced but 10% of those genes can be activated which are actually immune response genes. Vigorous immune system in females is in fact double-edged sword; robust immunity responses put them at higher risk of autoimmune diseases but they are more secure against novel infectious viruses. Females are more likely to mount an initial immune response to a higher magnitude as compared to their counterparts.
Alongside genome, hormones do play a significant role in having effective defense system. Studies prove that some of the important immune cells have estrogen receptors and estrogen addition has shown to increase immune response in general in mice. Similar patterns were found in SARS outbreak in 2003, male mice were more susceptible to virus, but when estrogen was blocked among females, they displayed symptoms at higher rates.
Another study by Dr. Perlman at University of Iowa showed analogous patterns. Male and female mice were infected with coronaviruses that caused severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The studies prove that males were more susceptible at every age, but the female death rate sped up when their ovaries were removed or when administered with estrogen-suppressing drugs. It is suspected that estrogen protects against deadly coronaviruses.
Besides biological differences, behavioral patterns also play a key role. Individuals that have compromised respiratory system are more prone to the attack. On average men have more such health damaging activities as smoking. For instance, in South Korea female to male COVID death ratio is near to 2:1 and smoking rate is higher in men as compared to women. Men have weaker immune systems and are more prone to infections.
All the pandemics do not follow same sex patterns. But for coronaviruses it has been the opposite, males are more at more risk as compared to females. There is still much to be explored in coronavirus’s relation with the biological differences. But there is definitely some possibility.
by: Marria Ghalib
Tags: Coronavirus Hits Men Hard Then Women
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