why are men more affected than women?



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Men are more affected than women by the coronavirus epidemic. Looking at the tens of thousands of hospitalized patients since March, 53% of them are men. The proportion is even higher for deaths, 6 out of 10 are male, according to data from Public Health France.

The difference is clear and persists even after the disease because women keep their protective antibodies longer, according to the result of a study of 308 caregivers by the University Hospital of Strasbourg and the Institut Pasteur. But where does this advantage of women come from?

A hypothesis put forward by the Strasbourg University Hospital on immunity would be the X chromosomes that would carry this immune gene, but women have two. More, estrogen promote immunity, unlike testosterone. Basically, there is also the role of androgens, male sex hormones, which act on an enzyme that makes it easier for the virus to enter cells. Finally, the answer immune it is better in women than in men.

Behavior at risk

The behavior of men is also sufficient to explain why they develop more severe forms. They smoke more than women, suffer more from obesity. However, weakened lungs and overweight are important risk factors leading to severe forms of Covid-19.

Further vigilance is therefore needed for men, but this difference is not no impact on public health, epidemic management. It’s not about vaccinating men first or just killing women. On the other hand, this observation allows us better understand the control mechanisms against infectious aggression.

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