This archive report was first published on 20 May 2020.
Kenya's Ministry of Health has revealed that men account for 68% of the country's total Covid-19 cases, a stark contrast to the global average. The numbers were announced on May 20, 2020, during a press briefing.
But what's behind this disparity? Is it a matter of men being more likely to contract the virus, or are they simply more likely to get tested?
Health Director General Patrick Amoth shed some light on the issue during his #AskTheDG session on social media. A Twitter user, @sira_jo, asked whether the findings suggested that more men than women were getting tested for Covid-19.
Dr. Amoth explained that the targeted mass testing had mainly focused on male-dominated sectors, such as truck drivers. This, he said, may contribute to the higher number of male cases.
“The targeted mass testing has mainly been focused on male-dominated sectors e.g. truck drivers. This may point to the numbers of more male cases,” Dr. Amoth said. — Dr. Patrick Amoth (@DrPatrickAmoth) May 20, 2020
On the same day, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announced 51 new Covid-19 cases, with 32 being male and 19 female. The total number of recorded cases in the country now stands at 963.
