New Study Shows That Men Are More Likely to Die from COVID-19 Than Women

Madeline Leesman | October 20, 2021 11:15 AM

A new study published Tuesday shows that men across the globe are more likely than women to die from the Wuhan coronavirus.

In the study, researchers at the Brookings Institution found that the COVID-19 death rate is 1.6 times higher in men than women. The study, which drew on the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), found that the gap is most pronounced in the “middle age group,” where data shows 184 male deaths to every 100 female deaths from COVID-19.

In the study write-up, it notes that as death rates from COVID-19 have decreased, the gap between men and women has lessened slightly. Also, the gap is not explained by an increased amount of COVID-19 cases among men or by differences in pre-existing conditions that could make someone more susceptible to contracting the virus.

One particular statistic published in the study shows that among people ages 45 to 64, as of Sept. 15, 2021, the number of male deaths from COVID-19 was at 79,711 deaths and the number of female deaths was at 45,587 deaths. When researchers calculated the death ratio for all age groups, overall, they found that men make up 62 percent of all coronavirus deaths.

“One possible explanation for the mortality gap could be that men are more likely to contract COVID-19. But while it is difficult to assess case counts due to access and demand for testing, raw data on the number of cases by age and sex from the CDC suggest very similar levels for men and women,” the write-up reads. “In fact, women have slightly higher case numbers, possibly because they may make up a greater share of riskier jobs that are high-contact and inflexible, such as healthcare support, personal care and services, and food preparation (although it is important to acknowledge that men make up a greater share of those in high-risk jobs like meatpacking). Likewise, these industries might require more routine testing, leading to an over-reporting in mild/asymptomatic cases. On the other hand, men might be less likely to test for asymptomatic cases, leading to less reported cases overall. Correcting for these measurement issues would give a more accurate comparison of COVID-19 cases by sex.”

Another point mentioned in the study is that the gender gap in COVID-19 mortality is the result or a combination of factors that can differ by race, class, geography, and other variables. “Gaining a better understanding of biological differences, case counts, and risk factors will be an ongoing task for scientific researchers,” the write-up reads.