Men's skin temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate increase more than women's with Covid-19. According to a study by researchers from Liechtenstein and Switzerland, the higher coronavirus mortality rate among men could be linked to this.
“The results emphasise the importance of taking gender into account in the medical treatment and care of Covid-19 patients,” the researchers wrote in the study, which was published on Wednesday in the journal Plos One.
The scientists led by Lorenz Risch from the private University of Liechtenstein (UFL) and Inselspital Bern had around 1,100 people wear a wristband with a sensor for the study. This sensory bracelet is already used to monitor the female menstrual cycle. It measures, among other things, breathing as well as heart rate and skin temperature.
Comprehensive data set
The study involved recording 1.5 million hours of data – the equivalent of more than 171 years. During the study period, which spanned 2020 and 2021, 127 participants tested positive for Covid-19, 82 of whom had sufficiently high-quality data to be included in the analysis.
According to the analysis, heart rate, respiratory rate and skin temperature not only increased more in men than in women during a coronavirus infection; they also remained at significantly higher levels during the recovery phase.
More
More
Explainer: should we be worried about the Covid-19 comeback?
This content was published on
Switzerland and the US have issued Covid-19 vaccination recommendations for this winter. Here is what we know so far about variants and vaccines.
“Considering the higher mortality and hospitalisation rates observed in male Covid-19 patients, our results may reflect gender-specific biological responses to the infection,” the researchers wrote in the study. It was therefore possible that female and male bodies not only showed different symptoms, but also reacted biologically differently to an infection.
The researchers emphasised in the study that it was important to take gender differences into account in medicine. “Historically, women have been underrepresented in clinical trials, which has meant that medical solutions have tended to focus on men, increasing the risk to women’s health,” the researchers wrote.
Adapted from German by DeepL/mg/amva
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
Popular Stories
More
Climate change
Switzerland turns train tracks into solar power plants
In Switzerland more people are being referred to electrical therapies or psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. Are there similar approaches where you live?
Living longer: What do you think about the longevity trend?
The longevity market is booming thanks in part to advances in the science of ageing. What do you think of the idea of significantly extending human lifespan?
SWISS cancels Tel Aviv flights after Ben Gurion airport missile attack
This content was published on
After a missile landed near Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport, Swiss International Airlines (SWISS) cancelled its flight from Zurich to Tel Aviv on Sunday.
Swiss foreign minister rejects mandatory referendum for EU deals
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis defended the government’s decision to make EU deals subject to an optional rather than a mandatory referendum.
Pro-choice and anti-abortion activists face off in Geneva
This content was published on
Anti-abortion Christian groups held a silent prayer in front of the Geneva train station on Saturday, to the whistles and shouts of pro-choice demonstrators.
Swiss army soldier seriously injured in accident on Simplon Pass
This content was published on
A member of the Swiss army was seriously injured on Friday while manoeuvring a self-propelled howitzer on the Simplon Pass.
Basel attempts world‘s largest over-60s disco before Eurovision Song Contest
This content was published on
It was billed as a world record attempt for the biggest over-60s disco of all time. But most visitors came to Basel to have fun.
Basel prepares 700 volunteers for the Eurovision Song Contest
This content was published on
Around 320 people took part in one of the two official information events for the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Basel on Friday.
More Swiss soldiers involved in accidents during training in Austria
This content was published on
The Swiss army has reported various accidents involving Swiss soldiers during the exercise “TRIAS 25” in Austria. Some have led to hospitalisations.
Swiss court rules vegan meat substitutes can’t use animal names
This content was published on
Vegan meat substitutes may not bear animal names such as “planted.chicken” according to a ruling by the Swiss Federal Supreme Court.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Explainer: should we be worried about the Covid-19 comeback?
This content was published on
Switzerland and the US have issued Covid-19 vaccination recommendations for this winter. Here is what we know so far about variants and vaccines.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.