It's all about genes: scientists have found out why men are more often sick and die from COVID-19

Statistics around the world give an unambiguous picture: the majority of deaths from COVID-19 men. According to experts, the matter is in genetics, writes Voice of America.

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On average, four women and six men account for ten deaths from coronavirus. However, if you look at the age category of patients, the skew is even more noticeable: it is clear that among the dead from coronavirus, a significant number of young men, often without concomitant diseases.

According to experts, the matter is in genetics. “There are two types of proteins that the coronavirus needs to enter the human cell,” said Benjamin Newman, a professor at Texas A&M University in Texarkana. - It seems that in older people, just like in men in general, this combination of proteins is more common. At the same time, it is much more difficult to remove the virus from their body. "

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Scientists have found that how coronavirus affects the body depends on the level of male sex hormones. That is, a man involved in sports in the prime of life can be an ideal candidate for the development of a serious case of COVID-19.

“The virus attracts the male sex hormone - androgen. This hormone is in the female body, it develops after 10 years. And exactly from this age, most often, they record the deaths of children. Simply put, the more androgen a person has, the more vulnerable the cells of his body are to coronavirus, ”said Carlos Vambier, a geneticist at the Alperta Medical School at Brown University.

Earlier SARS, like severe acute respiratory syndrome, also affected men more than women. Recent studies have disproved the suggestion that increased mortality of men from coronaviruses may be due to the fact that they take less care of themselves, wash their hands less often, and generally lead a less healthy lifestyle.

“In 2017, using an experiment on mice, it was possible to prove that sex is the determining factor, and not more frequent hand washing or the presence of cardiovascular diseases. The virus developed in the presence of a certain combination of hormones. Male mice when dosed even with small doses of the virus died much more often than female mice, ”emphasizes Vambier.

According to an article published in the journal Science Alert, the hormone estrogen protects women, not only from coronavirus, but also from a number of other diseases, including cardiovascular.

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The author of the article, professor at the University of La Trobe (Australia), Jenny Graves, is sure that this is no coincidence.

“The characteristics of the body of men and women are the result of their centuries-old behavioral characteristics,” says Graves. - This applies not only to humans, but also to primates, mice, mammals. Males take the risk, they are the discoverers. Due to this, they are successful in selecting females, and reproducing offspring. In females, nature has the role of raising offspring. ”

According to scientists, these natural characteristics of the body have led to the fact that the response of the immune system to diseases is different in men and women. Nature has made the male body more vulnerable to disease in the expectation that women need to bear offspring, says Jenny Graves.

“Men are much more likely than women to suffer from a number of infectious diseases, such as SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome. The same thing happened with the Spanish epidemic - men suffered from it more severely, says Graves. - And, very importantly, men and women react differently to treatment methods. Biologically, women are very different from men. And this must be taken into account. ”

There is no clear answer to the question - whether it is necessary to apply different therapy for men and women in the detection of COVID-19. However, scientists hope to find all the answers in the process of studying the nature of the coronavirus.

As ForumDaily wrote earlier:

• Possible treatment with COVID-19: 6 monkeys did not contract coronavirus after administration experimental vaccine
• Scientists may speed up the development of a vaccine against coronavirus, but ethical issues
• Penetrates directly into the brain: coronavirus can affect the nervous system and provoke a number of complications
• Coronavirus has suspended vaccination against other diseases: the world threatened with malaria and polio

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