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Indonesia’s men more susceptible to COVID-19 than women: Health Ministry
More men die from COVID-19 than women in Indonesia, according to recent data issued by the Health Ministry.
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A health worker sprays disinfectant in an ambulance after transferring a Japanese citizen suspected of being infected by the novel coronavirus from Badung Regional Hospital to Sanglah Hospital Denpasar, Bali, on March 3. (JP/ Zul Trio Anggono)
R
ecent official data has shown that the COVID-19 outbreak has taken a greater toll on Indonesian men than women, with twice as many men testing positive for the disease.
According to data from the Health Ministry’s disease control and prevention directorate-general on Monday, 394 male COVID-19 patients have died as of April 26, compared to 176 women.
“In hindsight, men make up about 59 percent of the nationwide COVID-19 cases,” National COVID-19 task force chief Doni Monardo said on Monday.
In addition, 518 patients who have recovered are men and 366 are women.
Read also: Men in East Java more prone to COVID-19 with 61% of cases, 77% of deaths
Health authorities have recorded 9,511 confirmed cases across the country as of Tuesday, with 773 deaths and 1,254 recoveries.
The Health Ministry also revealed that men between 18 and 65 years old make up the highest number of COVID-19 cases compared to other age groups, with 3,405 patients.
The ministry claimed this was mainly caused by the age group’s productivity, mobility as well as other socio-economic factors.
Read also: 30 to 59-year-olds make up highest number of COVID-19 deaths in Indonesia: Health Ministry
Although a similar trend had been observed in other regions such as China, Italy and the United States, scientists have yet settled on a scientific explanation for the higher COVID-19-related deaths in men.
Some experts say women have a better chance of fighting the disease because they have a stronger immune system.
James Gill, a locum doctor and honorary clinical lecturer at the Warwick Medical School in the United Kingdom said one hypothesis was that women "may have a more aggressive immune system, meaning a greater resilience to infections", as quoted by AFP.
Another, he said, was "the assumption that men simply don't look after their bodies as well, with higher levels of smoking, alcohol use [and] obesity", adding that the answer may be a mixture of both biology and environmental factors.
