This archive report was first published on 21 April 2020.
Published on April 21, 2020, a study has shed light on the gender disparity of Covid-19, revealing that the testicles may play a significant role in men's vulnerability to the virus.
Researchers tracked the recovery of 68 patients in Mumbai, India, to study the gender disparity of the virus, which has caused severe illness in men. According to the study, Covid-19 can attach itself to a specific protein produced in high levels in the testicles, allowing the virus to remain in the testicles longer than the rest of the body.
Dr. Aditi Shastri, an oncologist at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, and Dr. Jayanthi Shastri, a microbiologist at the Kasturba Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Mumbai, claim that the recent findings may explain why women recover more quickly than men.
The study found that the average recovery time for female patients is four days, while men's recovery time on average is two days longer. The researchers also suggested that the testicles may be serving as 'reservoirs' for the virus, which could contribute to the higher mortality rate among men.
Other reports have suggested that men are more susceptible to contracting the virus due to factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease. However, the study's findings provide new insight into the underlying mechanisms of the gender disparity in Covid-19 severity.
