The world’s all about gender equality nowadays. Unfortunately, coronaviruses like the Covid-19 don’t really give a damn about that concept.
In Singapore, out of 75 Covid-19 cases, 35 of them are male patients while 20 of them are female.
10 cases did not have their gender stated.
New Analysis of Covid-19 Shows Men Likelier To Get Infected
On 11 Feb 2020, a new analysis of the Covid-19 coronavirus was published on medRxiv.
Researchers from the United States and China carried out an analysis of the first 8,000 Covid-19 cases in China.
And findings seem to indicate that men are getting the short end of the stick:
- 55% of the confirmed cases analysed are men.
- 61.5% of people diagnosed with “the most severe” pneumonia are men
- Men are three times likelier to die to the coronavirus
In addition, the study shows that nearly 10% of males over the age of 60 died to the disease.
The findings of the study are consistent with previous studies conducted during the Sars and Mers period.
Researchers Unclear Why This is Happening
Researchers do not know why this is happening.
However, there are two possible explanations for this phenomenon.
The first is that women have an inherent biological advantage over men.
The second is due to the difference in lifestyle choices between men and women.
Smokers At Higher Risk Of Covid-19
According to WHO’s latest figures on smoking in China, 52.1 per cent of men smoke compared to 2.7 per cent of women.
It was previously found that higher rates of smoking were linked to more serious consequences for both Sars and Mers.
Lung Damage
According to Gisli Jenkins, one of the UK’s leading respiratory experts, smokers have high rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
COPD is a form of lung damage, and people with it are at higher risk of getting respiratory illnesses.
He is sure that smokers are higher risk of Covid-19 and may suffer more severe symptoms compared to non-smokers.
He added that China has high rates of COPD; meanwhile, 2 per cent of China’s confirmed Covid-19 cases have died while 15 per cent exhibited “severe” pneumonia.
When you compare that to the rest of the world, the situation outside of China “doesn’t seem that bad“.
So Stop Smoking & Take Care Of Personal Hygiene
If you smoke and you’ve been struggling to find a reason to quit, this could be it. You can join the “I Quit 28-challenge” programme by the Health Promotion Board (HPB)
Meanwhile, keep yourself updated with information from MOH’s website and make sure to wash your hand frequently with soap.
And remember to clean your smartphone regularly.