Since the beginning of the outbreak, more men have been hospitalized and died of the coronavirus than women. This trend originally appeared in China and as the virus has spread worldwide, the pattern has remained consistent.
Early on, the discrepancy between the sexes was attributed to smoking, as in China and most other places in the world, men consume more tobacco than women. Not only does smoking increase the risk of developing respiratory difficulties and pneumonia, it means people are touching their faces — perhaps with unwashed hands. However, this doesn’t explain why more men than women are dying in Italy, where smoking is equal among the sexes.
The Numbers
In the U.S., around 56 percent of people who have received a COVID-19 test are women and 44 percent are men. Of these tests, 16 percent of women tested positive but 23 percent of men. This suggests that men are also being infected with the virus at a higher rate than women.
There are similar trends for hospitalization and fatalities. In New York, 59 percent of patients in the hospital for COVID-19 have been men. Men also make up 62 percent of the deaths.
Potential Causes
Clearly men are being more impacted than women, but what’s the reason? Researchers have put forward a few potential causes.
