Men present more frequently with severe manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and are at higher risk for death. The underlying mechanisms for these differences between female and male individuals infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are insufficiently understood. However, studies from other viral infections have shown that females can mount stronger immune responses against viruses than males. Emerging knowledge on the basic biological pathways that underlie differences in immune responses between women and men needs to be incorporated into research efforts on SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and pathology to identify targets for therapeutic interventions aimed at enhancing antiviral immune function and lung airway resilience while reducing pathogenic inflammation in COVID-19.

男性更常出现 2019 年冠状病毒病 (COVID-19) 的严重表现，并且死亡风险更高。感染严重急性呼吸系统综合症冠状病毒 2 (SARS-CoV-2) 的女性和男性个体之间存在这些差异的潜在机制尚不清楚。然而，对其他病毒感染的研究表明，女性对病毒的免疫反应比男性更强。关于构成男女免疫反应差异基础的基本生物学途径的新知识需要纳入 SARS-CoV-2 发病机制和病理学的研究工作，以确定旨在增强抗病毒免疫功能和肺气道弹性的治疗干预目标，同时减少 COVID-19 的致病性炎症。