Covid-19 death rate among men 2.1 times more than amid women, finds Karnataka data

The death rate among men with Covid-19 is nearly 2.1 times that of women, an assessment by state health authorities has found.

The finding tallies with an international study that finds that men hit with Covid-19 are not only more prone to going into ICU but that most of the deaths that have happened in ICUs are of men.

Read: Coronavirus: ICMR set to start third serosurvey in Dec-Jan

Dr Thrilok Chandra, head of the Critical Care Support Unit (CCSU), said the finding has been made as the result of an ongoing assessment of deaths.

"Within the limits of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) alone, 3,25,999 men were infected with Covid-19 as opposed to 1,40,993 women up to December 9. Out of this, 2,876 who died were men. This is 2.1 times the number of women who died (1,334)," he said.

Dr Chandra said the numbers corroborate an international study which has found that males are more prone to developing serious complications due to the disease.

The study, which was published in Nature Communications, by researchers primarily in the United Kingdom, found that while there was no difference in the proportion of males and females infected with Covid-19, male patients have almost three times the odds of requiring ICU care, while facing higher odds of death compared to females.

In Karnataka, the official data shows that out of 11,880 people who died of the disease up to December 8, 40 were children, out of which 24 were males. Among adults, the gap increased significantly. Another 557 people had either died at home or had been brought dead. Out of the remaining 11,283 people who had succumbed to the disease in hospitals, 7,843 were males aged 19 and above while 3,440 were females.

"In Karnataka, most Covid-19 deaths are ICU deaths," Dr Chandra clarified.

The findings have important implications for clinical management and mitigation strategies for Covid-19.

Why women fare better

Dr Anoop Amarnath, also of the CCSU and Head of Clinical Research and Scientific Review Board at Manipal Hospitals, said fundamental differences in the immune response between males and females could be responsible for why women are largely spared the lethal effects of Covid-19.

"For example, the estradiol hormone which is found in women plays a role in curtailing cytokine storms. In contrast, the male testosterone hormone suppresses the immune system," Dr Amarnath said.

The study also points to the fact that females have a higher number of CD4+ T-cells, which are crucial in achieving a regulated effective immune response to pathogens. Women also have more robust CD8+ T-cells cytotoxic activity which can destroy tumour cells, plus increased B cell production of antibodies compared to males.