Men more vulnerable than women to coronavirus: DAK

Following the death of an elderly male in Kashmir due to the novel (new) coronavirus, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) has said men are more vulnerable than women.

In a statement, DAK President Dr Nisar ul Hassan quoted arecent report by Higher Health Institute of Rome, based on analysis of 25,0258cases in Italy which showed men accounted for nearly 60 percent of the casesand more than 70 percent of deaths. “In Spain, the number of men who died fromthe virus was nearly double that of the number of women, according to anotherreport from the Carlos III Health institute,” he added.

   

Dr Nisar said these figures are in line with early accountsfrom China, where the death rate for men was 2.8 percent compared to 1.7percent for women, according to the largest analysis of cases by the China’sCentre for Disease control and Prevention. He said the gender disparity in illness and death could be biological orbehavioral. “Women have more robust immune system than men and are able to fendoff infection. The female sex hormone appears to play a role in immunity, asdoes X chromosome, which contains immune- related genes. Women carry 2 Xchromosomes, men only one.

Men smoke at higher rates than women that damages the lungdefense and increases the risk of severe infection. Males are more prone todevelop heart disease, hypertension and diabetes than females, leaving them ata higher risk of developing severe complications from the virus,” Dr Nisarsaid. “Being male is as much a risk factor for coronavirus as being old. Peopleneed to be aware that there is this pattern,” he said. “Kashmir valley reportedits first coronavirus death today. He was 65 years old male, a smoker withunderlying diabetes and hypertension. Of the eight laboratory confirmed casesof the virus in the valley so far, 7 are males and one is a female,” said DrNisar.

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