Why Covid-19 is killing more men than women

In recent months, reports from several countries have shown that Covid-19 affects men and women differently. Men appear to suffer more severely and die of the disease in greater numbers than women.

The most comprehensive study to date, involving 10 600 hospitalised adults, shows that women have significantly lower odds than men of Covid-19-related death when hospitalised.

Moreover, the women in the study had fewer admissions to the intensive care unit (ICU) and less need for mechanical ventilation. They also had significantly lower odds of negative health effects, including acute cardiac injury, acute kidney injury and venous thromboembolism (blood clots).