Fighting Coronavirus: A Battle Of the Sexes?
Months on from the
start of the outbreak, with Scientists desperately researching around the clock
to find answers, our understanding of how the virus may effect each individual
still remains blurry. Researchers suggest part of the reason we see this
pattern is down to women’s stronger immune systems and lower ACE2
concentrations.
ACE2
Also known as angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, ACE2 is found
in higher concentrations in male blood. Not to be put off by the complicated
name, the role of ACE2 in relation to coronavirus is pretty simple to
understand. ACE2 gives a helping hand to the coronavirus, enabling it to enter
and infect healthy cells, helping to explain why men may have a higher
vulnerability.
Chromosomes
But what actually is a chromosome?
To
understand why and how chromosomes make a difference, a good first step would
be to understand what they actually are. Essentially, a chromosome is a long
thread of genetic material wound around a special protein called a histone,
this genetic material houses the ingredients that make us who we are and can be
held responsible for some of our individuality.
The fundamental differences between males and females can be
clearly highlighted when looking at our sex chromosomes. Women have XX
chromosomes and men XY, this smaller Y chromosome can be a disadvantage when it
comes to the immune system. With an X
chromosome being home to at least 60 immune responses, it’s easy to see why
having two of these gives women a greater range of defences against disease.
Does this make females the “stronger” sex?
If you are a female reading this article rejoicing at being
stronger than men in the immune system department, I wouldn’t crack open the
prosecco just yet. Having a stronger immune system isn’t actually all good. Our
heightened immune response makes us more susceptible to autoimmune diseases
including lupus, irritable bowel syndrome and multiple sclerosis.
Staying safe
Although we see these sex related differences in COVID-19 responses,
no one is exempt from the catastrophic effects of the virus and its certainly not
worth the gamble. Hospital admissions reflect a wide range of ages, races and
genders suffering from severe symptoms so relying on being young, fit and
healthy is not the way forward when it comes to COVID-19.
Inspiration
This topic was brought to my attention after watching the
documentary “Are women the fitter sex?” on Channel 4. Dr Ronx Ikharia, an emergency
medic, looks at the different immune response in each sex. Not only does Dr.Ronx
focus on COVID-19, but the general sex-based bias in medicine, looking at bias
in the diagnosis of autism, heart-disease being dismissed in women and the
unacceptable effects of sodium valproate in unborn babies; I was shocked to
hear that testing drugs on women is not a legal requirement. I found the
documentary particularly interesting as it highlighted the necessity of separate
sex data and trials but also explored topics that I hadn’t previously realised
were such prevalent issues.
If you are interested to read more on this topic I would recommend
the book “Invisible Women” by Caroline Criado Perez, which exposes the data
bias in a ‘male led world’.
Articles I used which you may want to have a look at:
https://theconversation.com/why-do-more-men-die-from-coronavirus-than-women-136038
A very interesting read!
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