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The lethal sex gap: COVID-19

Eladio J Márquez1, Jennifer Trowbridge2, George A Kuchel3

  • 11Sanofi US, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA.

Immunity & Ageing : I & A
|May 28, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Older adults, particularly men, face severe risks from COVID-19. Understanding how aging and sex impact the immune system is crucial for addressing infection rates and disease severity.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Gerontology
  • Genomics
  • Bioinformatics
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disproportionately affects older adults, especially men.
  • Age and biological sex are critical factors influencing health outcomes, alongside pre-existing conditions.
  • Previous research highlights the importance of age and sex in clinical considerations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore how age and sex influence the human immune system.
  • To connect findings on immune system alterations in aging to COVID-19 infection rates and disease risk.

Main Methods:

  • Interdisciplinary scientific collaboration (immunology, hematology, genomics, bioinformatics, geriatrics).
  • Review and reflection on recent findings regarding immune system changes with aging.

Main Results:

  • Aging significantly alters the immune system.
  • These alterations may explain differential COVID-19 susceptibility and severity based on age and sex.

Conclusions:

  • Age and sex are key determinants of immune response.
  • Further research into age- and sex-specific immune alterations can inform COVID-19 clinical management and risk assessment.

Keywords:
COVID-19ImmunosenescenceInflammagingSex differences

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