Men are more susceptible to coronavirus than women
Medical staff take care of a coronavirus patient in the Covid-19 unit of Neuchâtel Hospital on March 24
Keystone
Almost six out of ten people (58%) in Switzerland who are or have been hospitalised for coronavirus are men, according to Federal Office of Public Health figures. When it comes to deaths, men are even more affected than women at 60%.
“Figures from China had already shown a similar picture and it was assumed that it could be related to smoking,” it said. “In China over 50% of men smoke but only a small percentage of women do. However, no clear results have yet been shown – more smokers have been affected, but the figure is not statistically significant.”
Among Swiss smokers the difference between the sexes is only a few percentage points, including older people. Although slightly more men smoke than women, this is unlikely to explain the 60:40 ratio in diseases and deaths.
Other factors must therefore also play a role, SRF said. Experts suggest the immune systems of women and men behave differently owing to the sex hormones oestrogen and testosterone. “In women, the immune system often reacts stronger and faster.”
Other possible explanations are that women care more about hygiene than men. “However, it’s not clear whether this is also the case in times of coronavirus. But men go to the doctor less often than women and also later. It could be that men with Covid-19 tend to react too late and then become more seriously ill.”
Switzerland is one of the countries most affected by the pandemic, with almost 16,000 positive tests and more than 350 deaths as of March 31.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
This content was published on
Czech President Petr Pavel and his wife, Eva Pavlova, arrived in Switzerland on Tuesday at the start of a two-day state visit.
Study shows proliferation of non-native plants is driver of insect invasions
This content was published on
A global study has revealed that insect invasions are being driven by the proliferation of non-native plants. This can can massively disrupt ecological processes, often leading to serious economic impacts.
Swiss set record for world’s longest hyperloop test
This content was published on
Swiss scientists have established a record for the longest-ever hyperloop journey at a facility in Lausanne, Switzerland.
This content was published on
The Swiss army wants to purchase new German armoured howitzers to replace its existing artillery system which has been in operation for over 50 years.
Poll suggests Donald Trump has many fans in Switzerland
This content was published on
Around a quarter of Swiss citizens would vote for Donald Trump if they had the chance, according to a recent poll. This percentage is higher than in many other European countries.
Swiss court rejects special assistance for student with disabilities
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Court has rejected an application for special assistance from a student with disabilities at the federal technology institute ETH Zurich.
Police arrest 15 drug dealers in Verbier in southern Switzerland
This content was published on
Swiss and French police have arrested 15 suspected drug dealers operating in the mountain resort of Verbier in southern Switzerland.
New European space tech centre in Switzerland launches its first project
This content was published on
The European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI), launched in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), is to be located in the immediate vicinity of the PSI in northern Switzerland.
Swiss Federal Railways launches campaign for safety on public transport
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Railways is launching a campaign for greater respect and safety on public transport, with posters to go up in stations and on trains starting next week.
This content was published on
Swiss scientists and drug companies are playing an important role in the global effort to develop treatments or a vaccine for the virus.
Covid-19 immunity testing to begin in some Swiss hospitals
This content was published on
The hospitals are planning to roll out testing to evaluate how many people have already been infected, including those who may have already be immune.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.