Characterization of Clinical Features of Hospitalized Patients Due to the SARS-CoV-2 Infection in the Absence of Comorbidities Regarding Sex: An Epidemiological Study of the First Year of the Pandemic in Brazil
July 2022
in “
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
”
TLDR Males had more severe COVID-19 symptoms, but their risk of death was only slightly higher than females.
The study analyzed 336,463 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Brazil without comorbidities to assess the impact of sex on disease severity and outcomes. It found that male patients, who comprised 63.4% of the total, exhibited more severe clinical signs and required more intensive care and ventilatory support compared to females. Despite these severe symptoms, the male sex was only slightly associated with an increased risk of death. Factors such as older age, race, and the need for intensive care and ventilatory support were significant predictors of mortality. The study suggested that genetic, hormonal, and immune factors contributed to these differences, with men having higher ACE2 expression and a less robust immune response. The study highlighted the importance of understanding sex differences to identify vulnerable populations and develop targeted therapeutic strategies.
