Scientists at the University of Washington have uncovered the reasons why coronavirus infection causes more dangerous symptoms in men and older people than in other populations. This was announced in a press release on EurekAlert !.
The researchers isolated and sequenced (established the nucleotide sequence) viral RNA from swabs collected from 430 patients with COVID-19 and 54 people who tested negative for coronavirus. After that, the immune response of the subjects to the virus was analyzed, taking into account the infectious status, viral load, age and gender.
It turned out that immune responses are activated only three days after the onset of infection, and the composition and function of immune cells fluctuate depending on the viral load, which indicates a violation of the defense reaction in men and the elderly.
Since the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the elderly and men have experienced high mortality rates, which may indicate weaker immune responses underlying poor clinical outcomes.
