Men and women have a nearly equivalent risk of COVID-19 infection, but men are about 40 percent more likely to die, according to a large study published in Nature Communications Dec. 9.
Researched observed a "sex bias" in the study of more than 3 million COVID-19 cases throughout the world. A total of 90 reports spanning 46 countries and 44 U.S. states were analyzed. While researchers found similar proportions of COVID-19 infections between men and women, male patients were nearly three times more likely to require intensive care and had a 1.39 odds ratio for death.
Previous studies have outlined immune response differences between men and women, indicating a stronger antiviral response and increased immunity toward viral antigens in women, the study said.
"Although further studies are needed, these data have implications for the clinical management of COVID-19 and highlight the importance of considering sex as a variable in fundamental and clinical research."
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