Sex and Gender-Related Differences in COVID-19 Diagnoses and SARS-CoV-2 Testing Practices During the First Wave of the Pandemic: The Dutch Lifelines COVID-19 Cohort Study

Previous studies show that men and women differ in the course of their COVID-19 disease. This has been studied in people who have been hospitalised with COVID-19. However, many of the COVID-19 cases do not end up in hospital. In the current study, we examined whether there are differences between men and women in getting a PCR test and a diagnosis for COVID-19. This study uses data from the first wave, when there was still a relative shortage of PCR tests.

The study shows that among the general population, there is no difference between men and women in getting a PCR test and a COVID-19 diagnosis: men and women get it with equal frequency. Within the group of health care workers we did find a difference. Male health care workers were more likely to receive a PCR test and a COVID-19 diagnosis than female health care workers. This gender difference within the group of health care workers can be explained by the fact that men have a more severe course of COVID-19 than women, which is why men were offered a test more often and were also diagnosed more often during the first wave of the pandemic.