ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether the rates of COVID-19 infection and death in women versus men differ with age. METHODS: From data provided by the Italian National Institute of Statistics, we calculated the respective proportions of women among COVID-infected versus noninfected populations and male versus female infection and death rates, stratifying the results into 10-year age groups. RESULTS: The prevalence of COVID-19 infection was 3.6% higher in women than in the general population from 20 to 59 years of age, then decreased to -13.3% below that of the general population between 60 and 89 years of age. Death rates among infected women showed the opposite age-related trend. In infected women, the mortality rate was -77.4% lower than that of men aged 20 to 59 years. Between 60 and 89 years of age, the difference in women decreases to -34.5% below that of men. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate opposing age-related trends among women in infection and death rates due to COVID-19. Further studies are needed to examine the contribution of the phases of the female reproductive cycle to the observed variations.