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How Cumulative Statistics Can Mislead: The Temporal Dynamism of Sex Disparities in COVID-19 Mortality in New York State

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: Overall, men have died from COVID-19 at slightly higher rates than women. But cumulative estimates of mortality by sex may be misleading. We analyze New York State COVID-19 mortality by sex between March 2020 and August 2021, demonstrating that 72.7% of the total difference in the number of COVID-19 deaths between women and men was accrued in the first seven weeks of the pandemic. Thus, while the initial surge in COVID-19 mortality was characterized by stark sex disparities, this article shows that disparities were greatly attenuated in subsequent phases of the pandemic. Investigating changes over time could help illuminate how contextual factors contributed to the development of apparent sex disparities in COVID-19 outcomes.

Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192114066

Authors: Ann Caroline Danielsen, Marion Boulicault, Annika Gompers, Tamara Rushovich, Katharine M. N. Lee, Sarah S. Richardson

Institutions: Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Emory University, Tulane University

Language: English

Topic: COVID-19 epidemiological studies

Subfield: Modeling and Simulation

Field: Mathematics

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Good health and well-being, Gender equality

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,618