Journal of Behavioral Health and Psychology. 2021;
10(4):(315-344)
Biological sex and Covid-19: Science versus ideology
Carole Jahme and Ulrich Kutschera
Abstract
In humans, the Covid-19 disease is caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus spread in December 2019 in Wuhan/China, and via
unrestricted travel, quickly reached other continents. On 12th March 2020, the WHO classed
Covid-19 as a global pandemic. In many cases, Covid-19 symptoms begin as a respiratory
infection. If not defended against, the virus spreads from the lungs to attack other vital
organs, including the brain. Covid-19 causes a serious infection in mostly elderly people
(over 65 years old), and displays a sex difference upon victims, with older men over twice as
likely to die compared to same-age women. Here, we provide an evolutionary explanation
and contextualize this biological phenomenon against the cultural backdrop of the “gender
wars”. We focus on the triadic relation between the brain, immunity, and hormones in men
vs. women, with reference to the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ADS)-relationship.
