From being over 70 to having an underlying health condition, a number of factors are known to increase your risk of death from coronavirus.
Recent studies have shown that gender may also play a key role in death risk, with men more likely to die of COVID-19 than women.
Now, a new study is testing whether giving men female sex hormones could increase their chances of surviving the virus.
Researchers from Stony Brook University are giving male coronavirus patients oestrogen to test whether the hormone can boost their immune systems and reduce the severity of the illness.
The unusual trial enrolled its first participants last week, and the team hopes to results within the next few months.
Speaking to the New York Times, Dr Sharon Nachman, who is leading the study, explained: “We may not understand exactly how oestrogen works, but maybe we can see how the patient does.
“While we see women do get infected, their responses are different. We see fewer of them having the second, disregulated immune response.”
Meanwhile, researchers in Los Angeles will begin a trial to test the effects of progesterone on male coronavirus patients.
Speaking to The Times, Dr Sara Ghanderhari, a physician at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre, said: “There’s a striking difference between the number of men and women in the intensive care unit, and men are clearly doing worse.”
(Image: Universal Images Group Editorial)
The trial will see 40 male coronavirus patients given two injections of progesterone per day for five days.
Doctors will then assess whether the hormone affects their need to be treated in the intensive care unit.
The studies come shortly after stats from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) revealed that gender may also play a key role in death risk.
The figures show that up to 3 April, there were 4,122 deaths registered in England and Wales involving COVID-19.
ONS explained: “Our figures are based on deaths registered in the stated period and include all deaths where “COVID-19” was mentioned on death certificates.”
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According to ONS, there were more deaths involving COVID-19 among males than females up to 3 April. Of the 4,122 deaths registered, 2,523 were men and 1,599 women.
Gender appears to play a key factor in death rate in every age group, although the difference was most apparent in the 65-74 age bracket.
In that group, there were 246 female deaths, and 500 male deaths.
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