Sex-Based Body Responses to COVID-19

A study published in PLOS ONE in March 2024 examined how men and women differ in their body’s physiological responses to COVID-19 using continuous data from wearable sensors. The research, part of the COVI-GAPP cohort in Liechtenstein, tracked more than 1.5 million hours of biometric data from 1,163 participants (57% female).Devices recorded nightly changes in breathing rate, heart rate, heart rate variability, and skin temperature before, during, and after infection.

Men showed greater increases in skin temperature, breathing rate, and heart rate during the symptomatic period, as well as more pronounced decreases in heart rate variability, a measure of nervous-system balance and stress response. These changes also persisted longer into recovery. Despite these physiological differences, antibody levels were similar between men and women.

The study’s machine-learning detection algorithm performed comparably across sexes, though it identified slightly more infections in women, likely due to sample size differences. The findings suggest that wearable technology can help detect infections early and reveal sex-specific biological responses tied to immune and autonomic regulation. Understanding these patterns may support more personalized approaches to infection monitoring and treatment in the future.

Citation

COVID-19 remote early detection (COVID-RED) consortium (2024) et al. Sex-specific differences in physiological parameters related to SARS-CoV-2 infections among a national cohort (COVI-GAPP study). PloS one, 19(3), e0292203. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0292203