ABOVE: © SCOTT LEIGHTON
During the past year, many medical studies have reported that men are more likely than women to die from COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. Although disease statistics vary substantially between countries and there are a number of socioeconomic and behavioral factors likely involved, there may be underlying biological mechanisms that also contribute to this imbalance.
Researchers who study sex differences in immunity have discovered several ways in which viral responses differ between people with two X chromosomes and people with one X and one Y (female and male, respectively, for the purposes of this article). Although the mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 infection are not yet fully understood, it’s possible that some of these sex differences could help explain differences in how infection with the virus affects men and women.
SARS-CoV-2 uses the cell membrane proteins ACE2 and TMPRSS2 to enter human cells. Previous research has suggested ...
