• A recent study found that men in the U.S. were at a modestly higher risk of dying of COVID-19 than women.
• Researchers determined the disparity had to do with a combination of financial and social factors, occupation, and underlying health conditions.
• COVID-19 deaths in women may have also been underreported due to limited access to health care.

Early reports from the COVID-19 pandemic showed that men were dying of COVID-19 at much higher rates than women. In a new in-depth study of how COVID-19 has affected men and women in the United States differently, researchers determined that men were at a modestly higher risk of dying of the disease — and that numerous factors were at play, not simply biological differences between males and females.

“These data suggest that the sex disparity, when present, is modest, and likely varies in relation to context-sensitive variables, which may include health behaviors, preexisting health status, occupation, race/ethnicity, and other markers of social experience,” the authors concluded.

For the study, published in Social Science & Medicine, researchers collected case numbers and death rates from public health databases available from each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. The data was collected from April 2020 to May 2021.

Jobs, Health Conditions, and Health Behaviors All Played a Role

The total COVID-19 case number for men was 14,889,007 and 15,383,226 for women. COVID-19 deaths were 273,455 and 227,863 for men and women, respectively. Overall, the data show that more men died of COVID-19 in the U.S. than women. The authors point out that there are several reasons for this trend.

Even before the pandemic, men had a higher death rate overall compared to women. Men also tend to have jobs that put them at a higher risk for COVID-19 infection, such as agriculture or construction positions. These are often lower-income jobs that may not offer health insurance or sick time.

Studies also show that underlying health conditions can affect a person’s ability to fight COVID-19 — especially heart conditions. Men tend to be affected by these health conditions more than women, putting them at a higher risk of COVID-19 infection and potentially death.

The authors also pointed out that women were often tested more for COVID-19. Pregnant women and health care workers (the majority of whom are women) were tested at higher rates than the general public. This widespread testing may have skewed the COVID-19 mortality data to make it look like there were fewer deaths per case in women. However, because men were not tested as frequently, there may have been many more unconfirmed cases in men. If those had been counted, the death rate among men per number of cases may have looked similar to the rate among women.

Researchers also noted differences in health behaviors among men and women. Among them, they cited studies that women and girls were more likely to wear masks, practice social distancing, and comply with public health recommendations.

COVID-19-related deaths in women may also be underreported as a result of limited access to health care. Long-term care facilities did not report accurate case and death numbers in the early phases of the pandemic. They found that women made up 70 percent of residents in these facilities, which may account for the differences in mortality rates between men and women.