Gender and lethality by covid-19

Between the biomedical and the behavioural models

Abstract

In Brazil, more women than men have fallen ill during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a comparative analysis. However, paradoxically, many more men have died than women. The aim was therefore to discuss the dynamics of the incidence and fatal outcome of Covid-19 by disaggregating the gender variable (differences in cases and deaths by sex). This is a mixed study using qualitative and quantitative, cross-sectional and descriptive methods. Data was obtained from the Mortality Information System and the Influenza Epidemiological Surveillance Information System. The sample consisted of 38 interviewees from different cities, namely: São Luís, Imperatriz, Caxias and Barra do Corda.  The interviews were recorded and transcribed and analyzed using Moscovici's social representations and Minayo's discourse analysis. Graphs and tables were also used to represent the quantitative data. It is therefore possible to state that behavioral patterns explain how a certain disease fatally affects certain audiences, and not just the biomedical model. It should be noted that Covid-19 has brought to light the gender inequality that affects society, as there is still a greater prevalence of socially constructed behaviors referring to males and females.