The immune response to COVID-19: Does sex matter?
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Ho, Jim Q; Sepand, Mohammad Reza; Bigdelou, Banafsheh; Shekarian, Tala; Esfandyarpour, Rahim; Chauhan, Prashant; Serpooshan, Vahid; Beura, Lalit K; Hutter, Gregor; Zanganeh, Steven
- Source
- Immunology, vol 166, iss 4
- Subject
- Male
SARS-CoV-2
Prevention
Immunology
Immunity
COVID-19
Pneumonia
sex hormones
Vaccine Related
Paediatrics and Reproductive Medicine
immune system
Sex Factors
Emerging Infectious Diseases
Infectious Diseases
Good Health and Well Being
Risk Factors
Biodefense
gender
Pneumonia & Influenza
Humans
sex
Female
Pandemics
Lung
- Language
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has created unprecedented challenges worldwide. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes COVID-19 and has a complex interaction with the immune system, including growing evidence of sex-specific differences in the immune response. Sex-disaggregated analyses of epidemiological data indicate that males experience more severe symptoms and suffer higher mortality from COVID-19 than females. Many behavioural risk factors and biological factors may contribute to the different immune response. This review examines the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in the context of sex, with emphasis on potential biological mechanisms explaining differences in clinical outcomes. Understanding sex differences in the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection will help promote the development of specific strategies to manage the disease.