Around the world, COVID-19 is killing far more men than women – up to twice as many in some countries – and scientists now say they know why this may be the case.
Professor Jenny Graves, a Distinguished Professor of Genetics at La Trobe University, writes in The Conversation: “Men and women are biologically different. [They] differ in their sex chromosomes and the genes that lie on them.”
These factors control most of the obvious differences between men and women – everything from behaviour to physical appearance.
They also influence vulnerability to disease and chronic conditions. Men, for example, are more likely to get diabetes, cancer and heart disease than women. Meanwhile, women outlive men by an average of six years.
Other researchers have suggested the COVID-19 stats may be due to the higher prevalence of diabetes and cancer in the male population.
Professor Graves believe this could account for some, but not all, of the COVID-19 gender bias – and says it doesn’t get to the root of why men are more likely to get these diseases in the first place.
Further research may provide a clearer explanation – in the meantime, they say staying at home, social distancing and hand hygiene is the best protection.
