Coronavirus: Why mortality rate is much higher in men than women; experts unfold

On the issue of fighting the deadly Covid-19 which has claimed over 2 million lives worldwide, global data gives an impression that the mortality rate is much higher in men than women.

In a interview with India Today, Dr Sharon Moalem, a Canadian born physician and rare disease specialist, shed light on why women cope better in fighting coronavirus than men.

"Females have two X chromosomes whereas males have one X and one Y chromosome. X chromosomes are necessary for survival and contain important genes related to the brain. Y chromosomes, on the other hand, are found only in males and are not crucial for survival. Men are more biologically fragile due to this," Dr Sharon Moalem said.

In countries like South Korea, despite the fact that more women were tested positive for coronavirus, more men lost their lives because of the disease.

"Men have more muscle mass and more physical strength and that doesn't mean longevity or long life. However, women -- who have XX chromosome --- are born with the advantage of longevity," Dr Moalem said.

As claimed by Dr Moalem, another rationalization why women are genetically resilient than men is because they have stronger immune system due to the presence of estrogen in their body.

"Women, along with double XX chromosome power, also have hormones in their body like estrogen which is good for immunity. Men have testosterone which reduces immunity further. Men are more biologically fragile," Dr Moalem said.

Traditionally, women have always coped better than men when dealing with an infection or famine. Women also battle cancer better than men, said Dr Moalem.

"This is because women have the power of double X power. This gives the female an advantage from the day they are born," Dr Moalem said.

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