Dr Frank Atherton
Chief Medical Officer
Welsh Government

Dear Dr Atherton,

Excess COVID-19 deaths amongst men – implications for action

Thank you for everything you and your colleagues are doing to fight COVID-19.

One emerging trend which is causing us concern is the excess mortality from COVID-19 amongst men. We are keen to know what is being done to understand this and reflect it in the national programme. 

Following the early results from China, mortality statistics from Italy (via WHO Europe) and Denmark and, based on initial INARC and ONS reports, the UK suggest that, to date, 60-70% of deaths from COVID-19 are male – at a younger average age – despite men being a minority of the older age group most at risk.

Factors for this – reflected in the latest research and opinion polling – include:

• Men are biologically more susceptible to respiratory diseases and COVID-19
• Men’s health behaviours are overall more risky
  • Historically, men have smoked more than women
  • Men, especially working age men, generally seek medical help later
  • Men generally wash hands less
  • Gender difference in self-isolation, complacency about COVID-19 and compliance with advice

Our strong belief is that taking proper account of sex and gender (and other health inequalities) will lead to better, more effective policy and interventions. Ignoring sex and gender risks having a direct and negative effect on the incidence and outcomes of COVID-19.

To address this, we believe it is critical to see:

• Quicker availability of sex-disaggregated data.
  The sex-disaggregated data from ICNARC covers 79 deaths and from ONS 103 deaths – lagging a long way behind the UK total reported to date by DHSC of 2,921 deaths – and neither are providing a specific gendered view on the 117 deaths to date in Wales.
• Gender-targeted communication
  to tackle complacency on COVID-19. Wider availability of disaggregated data is likely to help with this.

Separately, to support the government’s efforts, the Men’s Health Forum remains keen to support any work in other critical areas – such as the mental health issues caused by isolation.  To this end, we:

• Have pulled together global gendered-research into COVID-19 looking at the biological and behavioural factors associated with higher male mortality
• Have continued to work on gendered COVID-19 communication to help employers and men access relevant information in an effective form
• Are contacting our voluntary sector partners across Wales, England and Scotland to create a list of virtual men’s mental health support services that are available to men who are self-isolating

We are a small charity, but if there is anything else you think we could usefully do, we would be very interested to help where we can.

Thank you again for everything you are doing.

Martin Tod,
​Chief Executive, Men’s Health Forum