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Journal of Behavioral Health and Psychology

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Biological sex and Covid-19: Science versus ideology

Carole Jahme and Ulrich Kutschera

Journal of Behavioral Health and Psychology 2021 Vol. 10 Issue 4 Pages 315-389
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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.