Why tall men run double the risk of contracting Covid

TALL people may be more likely to be struck down by coronavirus.

Men above six feet tall have up to twice the risk of being infected, a study suggests.

Some tall people believe their height protects them because when shorter people with coronavirus sneeze the droplets fall to the ground. But there is growing evidence that tiny virus particles may linger in the air for hours, and a greater risk for tall people may support this theory.

Researchers surveyed 2,000 people in the UK and US, of whom 339 were more than six feet in height.

They found that tall people in the UK had more than double the risk of getting coronavirus, although more research is needed because the study was so small.

Co-author Professor Evan Kontopantelis, from the University of Manchester, said: ‘I am 6ft 4ins and was guilty of thinking that, if I held my head high, it would not really be a problem if someone with coronavirus sneezed. But tall people should not feel better prowomen tected just because they are up above other people. It is very important taller people wear a mask and are careful.’

The survey was filled out on computers and smartphones by 1,000 people in each of the UK and the US, who told researchers if they had tested positive or been diagnosed with coronavirus.’ In the UK, people over six feet tall were 2.2 times more likely than shorter people to have had the virus. But the researchers said this was not statistically significant because of the study’s size.

Across the UK and US, the odds of getting the virus were more than 50 per cent higher for taller people. However, there may be other explanations for the results, which are for men only as so few were taller than six feet. These may include the fact that larger men are more likely to work in physical jobs such as construction, where it may be harder to socially distance.

The study, which has not been peer-reviewed or published in a scientific journal, also found people were more likely to become infected if they used public transport to get to work. The results also suggest people are more likely to be infected if they are extroverts and risk-takers.

The virus often spreads through people inhaling virus-laden droplets spread by others. These heavy droplets tend to fall quickly to the ground. But the World Health Organisation has also acknowledged that the virus could be airborne in crowded, closed and poorly ventilated settings, putting taller people at risk.

Professor Kontopantelis said: “The results suggest downward droplet transmission is not the only way the virus is spread, which illustrates the importance of good indoor ventilation to disperse the virus.’

‘Important taller people wear mask’