The Impact of Sex and Gender on COVID-19

Among the many unknowns regarding COVID-19, is the way in which sex and gender affect the risk of acquiring the virus, illness presentation, disease management, and outcomes. Sex, a biological attribute, and gender, a social construct, may both influence an individual’s susceptibility, vulnerability, and exposure to infectious diseases. Evidence related to COVID-19 appears to largely show increased morbidity and mortality among males, however, the prevalence of reported cases and deaths varies between men and women by country, suggesting that social, economic, and cultural factors may influence both the acquisition of SARS-CoV-2 and the treatments and outcomes of COVID-19.  Moving beyond sex-disaggregated results, gender dimensions must be recognized as intersecting components within the context of other variables, such as disability, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and/or geographic location. Join us for a discussion with Dr. Colleen Norris.  

Dr. Colleen Norris is a Professor and Clinician Scientist with the faculties of Nursing, Medicine & Dentistry, and the School of Public Health, at the University of Alberta. Dr. Norris is the Scientific Director, Cardiovascular Health and Stroke Strategic Clinical Network, a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, and Chair of the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Alliance, Health Policy and Services Working Group. Dr. Norris (CO-PI) along with Drs. Louise Pilote and Valeria Raperelli, leads the Gender Outcomes INternational Group: to Further Well-being Development (GOING-FWD), a five-country transatlantic multidisciplinary network of investigators, trainees, and patient partners who aim to integrate sex and gender dimensions in applied health research.


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