When it comes to COVID-19 deaths, the elderly and those with certain pre-existing conditions are at greater risk, just like they are in any disease that can cause respiratory distress.
Yet demographers are beginning to break down those numbers to highlight disparities in outcomes. A new paper finds that even though men and women are equally likely to contract the virus, men are significantly more likely to suffer severe effects and die.
What might explain it? Co-morbidities are certainly a factor, though deaths in people of color are higher than in Caucasian-Americans and co-morbidities are dismissed in those because it sounds too much like laying blame.