Good Morning Britain’s Dr Amir Khan has explained the reason why men suffer from coronavirus symptoms worse than women.
The TV doc told viewers that it’s all down to… hormones.
More specifically, he said that having estrogen - the primary female sex hormone - in your body can be protective.
This comes after new research suggests that women who take the contraceptive pill are less likely to develop a serious strain of Covid-19.
The study, led by researchers at King's College London, found that high levels of estrogen may have a protective effect against coronavirus.
This means that Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) can also be protective in boosting immunity.
Previous studies on SARS and MERS suggest this might explain why men of all ages are at a higher risk of severe infection of coronavirus.
Dr Amir explained: "In my experience, the patients that I've seen with the worst symptoms of coronavirus tend to be men. The idea is that estrogen specifically can be protective.
"What it does is boost your immune system so your immune system reacts quicker to the virus once it takes hold and you get less of a severe response.
"So yes, potentially the contraceptive pill and HRT can be protective in terms of boosting your immunity and protecting you against the serious signs and symptoms of covid-19."
GMB airs weekdays from 6am on ITV.
