Mental health in an unequal world' : women in the eastern Mediterranean region after the Covid pandemic

Abstract EN

The COVID-19 outbreak has had an unprecedented impact on societies worldwide.

however, not everyone, in every place, is affected in the same way.

understanding how the pandemic has affected certain groups may help increase the effectiveness of containment efforts and minimize potential negative impact.

the current viewpoint considers the impact of COVID-19 on women and girls.

experiences from previous pandemics demonstrate how women and girls can be especially active actors for change although also demonstrates how they can also experience the effects of the crisis in different (and often more negative) ways than men might.

COVID-19 is not gender-blind.

the response to it should not be either.

based on existing evidence and emerging trends the current viewpoint summarizes key gender differentiated transmission channels and impacts on outcomes across three areas : endowments, economic conditions, and agency.

gender implications : data from china, Spain, and Italy regarding the COVID-191 outbreak indicate that men are dying from the virus in much higher numbers than women.

this also appears to be the worldwide trend.

in china, the fatality rate for men was approximately 65% higher than for women.

reasons for this trend remain unclear although initial research suggests higher incidence of chronic diseases (e.g., hypertension), and risky and/or health-seeking behaviors (e.g., smoking) among men,2 as well as immunological differences.

among sars patients, men also appeared to be more severely affected by the disease than women, which may partly reflect gender differences in tobacco use.6 similarly, gender differences in physical activity, eating habits, occupational exposure to smoke and dust, etc.

and associated comorbidities could play a role.

research on animals, such as mice, also show that males generate less robust immune responses than females to infections with SARS-CoV and perhaps other coronaviruses.