Enzyme makes men vulnerable to COVID-19

Scientists have found why men get a coronavirus infection more often than women. It comes down to higher concentrations of ACE2 protein in their blood, which helps the virus infect healthy cells. The scientists published the results of the study, which involved almost 4 thousand people, in the European Heart Journal.

Almost from the first days after the beginning of the epidemic, doctors observed that the disease more often infects and kills men rather than women.

Scientists measured the concentration of ACE 2 molecules in the blood of more than 2 thousand patients from 11 European countries. The analysis confirmed that men have much more of them than women. 

Moreover, experts found that the concentration of ACE 2 in the blood of some study participants was lower. All of them took medications for heart failure – for example, ACE-blocking medications.

On December 31, 2019, Chinese authorities announced an outbreak of pneumonia in China's Wuhan, the causative agent of which is a new type of coronavirus officially named COVID-19.

On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of a new coronavirus a pandemic.