Men ‘significantly’ more likely to die from virus than women: Analysis

Men are “significantly” more likely to die with Covid-19 than women once age is taken into account, according to new analysis.

Data from National Records of Scotland (NRS) found that males were 1.4 times more likely to die than females once age has been factored in.

The average age at death for those who died with Covid-19 was 79 for men and 84 for women, the NRS Scotland ’s Population report showed.

Up to Sunday September 27, there have been 4 ,257 deaths registered in Scotland where C ovid -19 was mentioned on the death certificate.

NRS analysis of data gathered between midMarch and midSeptember showed that mortality rates were over four times higher in large urban areas than in remote rural areas.

After adjusting for age, people in the most deprived areas were twice as likely to die with Covid-19 as those living in the least deprived areas.

West Dunbartonshire had the highest age-standardised death rate of all council areas with 314.3 deaths per 100,000 population.

This was c lose ly followed by Midlothian ( 294.3), Glasgow City ( 291) and Inverclyde (280).

Highland (37.5), Moray (40.4) and Dumfries and Galloway (50.1) had the lowest rates, in addition to Orkney and Shetland whose numbers NRS said were too low to calculate rates, and the Western Isles (Na hEileanan Siar) where there were no deaths.

After adjusting for age, p eop l e in We s t Dunbar tonshire were eight times as likely to die compared to those in Highland.

Mo r e than threequarters ( 77 %) of all those who died were aged 75 or over and 43% were aged 85 or over.

Pe t e Whitehouse , director of statistical services at NRS, said: “Today’s report describes how the number of deaths involving Covid-19 increased sharply in the first six weeks of the pandemic, before falling again, with numbers very low since July.”