HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — We've learned a lot about the coronavirus. It's the gift that keeps on giving, but there's a claim pregnant people transfer fewer covid antibodies to male fetuses.
We're also in the second year of the pandemic, and during this time we've discovered many breakthroughs. We've learned there's been a bias about higher prevalence and increased severity of COVID-19 in males. So let's take a deeper dive.
THE QUESTION:
Can pregnant people carrying baby boys have fewer coronavirus antibodies than those carrying girls? Let's verify!
THE SOURCES:
THE ANSWER:
We can verify that pregnant people carrying baby boys have fewer coronavirus antibodies than those carrying girls.
This may give scientists a look at why male immune systems react differently to the immune systems of a female.
WHAT WE FOUND:
A small study was conducted with a sample of 38 people infected with COVID-19. One half carried boys, the other half carried girls.
When the babies were born, scientists say in their study: "Striking differences were noted in the placental transfer of antibodies to male and female infants."
Specifically, the study shows that girls born to COVID-infected mothers have more antibodies at birth.
It's important to note that studies show male immune systems respond differently than female immune systems, which could offer insight into these discrepancies.
Here's another interesting fact about covid mortality in males:
We've learned from Brookings Institution via the CDC, that "men have had a higher crude death rate than women, according to data from February 2020 to August 2021."
By the end of August, over 65,000 more men than women had died from COVID-19.