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Severe coronavirus symptoms more present in men
Data from around the globe indicates that men appear to be more susceptible to the novel coronavirus than women when it comes to the severity of the illness.
ORLANDO, Fla. - Coronavirus doesn't favor any one kind of person or gender. Everyone is equally as likely to get or not get coronavirus. But, data is beginning to show that once you get it, men are more likely to have more severe symptoms or die.
The novel coronavirus is so new that scientists and doctors are still collecting data, but preliminary information from China, Italy, Spain and the United States all show that men are more likely to have more severe symptoms when diagnosed with COVID-19.
It's partly because of smoking.
This transmission electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. (NIAID-RML)
"In these countries that we’ve studied so far, the smoking rate in men is much, much higher than in women," said Dr. J. Matthew Knight.
Dr. Knight says men are also more likely to drink alcohol, which could put them at a higher risk, but it's not just that.
Dr. Knight says, in general, men are at a higher risk of other medical conditions.