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ALERT For Men! Being Bald & Smoking Are Huge Risk Factors For COVID-19

While Coronavirus has been leading the scientists on a wild goose chase ever since it stormed the face of Earth, it doesn’t seem to be settling down. Every day, new symptoms and new risk factors keep coming in.

Now the research has found that bald men run a significantly higher risk of not only catching the Coronavirus, but they’re also the ones who are falling heavily sick.

And we already know that COVID-19 is more deadly for men than women. Why is that? Let’s examine.

More than 70% of the male COVID-19 patients have baldness

Dr. Wambier of Brown University conducted two different studies in Spain on Coronavirus patients. One of the studies, published in the American Academy of Dermatology, found that 79% of the Coronavirus patients had male pattern baldness.

Another study was published in the Journal od Cosmetic Dermatology, and it found that 71% of the men admitted as COVID-19 patients were bald.

Dr. Wambier says that it could be possible that the male hormone androgen, which also causes male pattern baldness, it could be an entry point for the Coronavirus.

The lead author of this study, Dr Carlos Wambier, is reported to have opined that androgen, the male hormone responsible for baldness in men, could be a potential entry point of the novel coronavirus in their cells.

4 factors that make men more prone to catching COVID-19

#1. A unique protein that men have more than women

Image Credit: Scleroderma

COVID-19 virus uses a protein called ACE2 receptors to enter your body, and then bind itself to your cells so that it can multiply and spread.

These ACE2 receptors are usually found in lungs, heart, and intestines. But the interesting part is that it’s also found in men’s testicles in large quantities. While women’s ovaries have much less of it.

That’s why men are a greater risk of catching the virus, and the virus stays for longer periods in men as well, and it can spread via semen to some extent.

#2. Smoking where men are more active than women

Image Credit: Insider

Smoking is more common among men as compared to women. Smoking increases the amount of ACE2 receptors in lungs, which greatly increases the risk of Coronavirus infection.

#3. X chromosomes that women have more than men

Image Credit: Medium

Men have only one X chromosome while women have two of them. And this makes a big difference.

X chromosomes harbour many different immunity genes, such as one for the TLR7 protein. This helps in detection of viruses like COVID-19 which have a single-strand RNA structure.

Since women have two X chromosomes instead of one, they have double the number of immunity genes which makes their immune system react faster and better to Coronavirus infections.

#4. Hygiene which women are better at

Image Credit: TOI

While it may sound stereotypical, but men are usually less careful when it comes to maintaining hygiene such was washing hands, keeping things clean, coughing etiquette etc. This is another factor that significantly increases their risk of catching the infection.

 

Featured Image Courtesy: Insider

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