Study Says Women Are Stronger Against COVID-19

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JAKARTA - Women are said to be stronger against coronavirus infection. In the journal Nature released on Wednesday, August 26, the study proves that men are more prone to contracting the coronavirus by as much as 60 percent.

This is the reason why it is easier for men to get seriously ill after getting COVID-19.

The study was conducted by taking blood and saliva samples from 98 subjects and COVID-19 patients who are currently undergoing treatment at Yale New Haven Hospital, United States.

Reporting from Aljazeera on August 27, men and women respond differently to COVID-19 when the virus enters the body. Women give a strong immune response with T lymphocytes, white blood cells that can detect viruses and eliminate them.

As for men, they have difficulty accepting T cells. So the older they are, the weaker the way they respond to the virus.

On the other hand, men also produce cytokines, which are inflammatory proteins that form immune defenses in the body naturally. However, having cytokines in excess can also form new cases.

Men who have high concentrations tend to have the potential for severe disease but women who have high cytokines can have an even worse impact.

Therefore, different treatments need to be done for men and women. If men focus on managing T cells, women should undergo cytokine treatment for them to be properly controlled.

However, they think this research still needs further research. Since the sample was only conducted on 98 patients, they hope to do more research.