All across the United States, the coronavirus is killing more men than women, data show washingtonpost.com/health/2020/04… I don't understand why the sub-hed calls this "one of the most mysterious global trends" when the article does a very good job of explaining why this is likely so.
"For almost all infectious diseases, women are able to mount a stronger immune response then men" ... "That holds true even in other animals" ... "With regard to viral infection, it’s been very well established that females have much stronger immune responses than males"
... “Not just as a result of exposures or behavior. But there are actual differences in the ways that immune cells respond.” ... "Some 60 genes involved in immune function are located on the X chromosome" ...
" ... female immune cells respond faster and more powerfully to viral attacks, producing higher amounts of interferons " ... "Sex hormones also play a role in the body’s response to infection. Testosterone...has been shown to tamp down inflammation. "
"Estrogen, meanwhile, can bind to immune cells and activate the production of disease-fighting molecules."
Does this sound like a mystery? At all?
Does this sound like a mystery? At all?
