Early data out of China, South Korea and Italy showed more men than women were dying from COVID-19, a pattern that has continued in many countries where data is available by sex and gender. It’s too early to know whether this has to do with the disease itself or environmental factors, including the likelihood of men taking preventative measures compared to women.
America is changing faster than ever. Add Changing America to your Facebook or Twitter feeds to stay top of the most important news.
But this trend stands in contrast with the findings of a recent preprint study by American and British researchers, which has not been peer reviewed, that shows men are more likely to believe that they will be relatively unaffected by the coronavirus. As a result, men are less likely than women to wear a face covering.
A Gallup poll published on May 13 shows that 29 percent of men always wore a mask or cloth face covering in public, compared to 44 percent of women. On the other end of the spectrum, 38 percent of men never wore a mask or cloth face covering outside the home, compared to 25 percent of women.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CORONAVIRUS IN AMERICA
EXPERTS: 90% OF CORONAVIRUS DEATHS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED
HERE’S WHEN IT’S SAFE FOR YOUR STATE TO REOPEN
HERE ARE THE 6 WAYS THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC COULD END
HOW DOES THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC AFFECT SUICIDE RATES?
CORONAVIRUS HAS MUTATED INTO MORE THAN 30 STRAINS, NEW STUDY FINDS
Those discrepancies don’t exist when face coverings are made mandatory, according to the preprint. Still, men reported feeling a level of shame and stigma when wearing them. Men were more likely than women to agree with statements such as “wearing a face covering is not cool,” “wearing a face covering is shameful” and “wearing a face covering is sign of weakness.”
The findings suggest that these negative emotions may dissuade men from wearing face coverings if they are not mandatory, putting them at greater risk of infection. The stigma against men showing weakness by taking measures to protect themselves is an example of toxic masculinity, a definition of “being a man” that puts their own health and lives at risk.
In the preprint, researchers suggested that “future interventions to promote the use of a face covering among men can try to act on decreasing these negative emotions.”
BREAKING NEWS ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
THESE ARE THE 6 WAYS THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC COULD END
WHO: THERE’S NO EVIDENCE WEARING A MASK WILL PROTECT YOU FROM CORONAVIRUS
HERE’S WHEN THE CORONAVIRUS WILL PEAK IN YOUR STATE
FAUCI PREDICTS ANOTHER CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK IN THE FALL WITH A ‘VERY DIFFERENT’ OUTCOME
MORE THAN 1000 TEST POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS AT TYSON MEAT PLANT THE DAY IT REOPENS
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
