Bianconi Vanessa, Mannarino Massimo R, Bronzo Paola, Marini Ettore, Pirro Matteo
Unit of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
Heliyon. 2020 Oct 17;6(10):e05304. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05304. eCollection 2020 Oct.
Variable sex-disaggregated data on Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) incidence proportion (IP) have been reported in different datasets and studies. Factors explaining the inconsistent distribution of COVID-19 among sexes are still unclear.
This study aimed to analyse time-related variation of sex-disaggregated COVID-19 IP in Italy since March 9 to May 11 2020, and to test its association with the frequency of swab testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
Sex-disaggregated data on COVID-19 cases were collected from Italian publicly accessible databases along with undisaggregated data on the number of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) SARS-CoV-2 tests. Crude and adjusted associations between the frequency of RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2 testing and male-to-female (M/F) ratio of COVID-19 IP were performed.
COVID-19 IP increased progressively in both sexes. Sex prevalence of COVID-19 IP reversed over time, with the M/F ratio of COVID-19 IP having passed from 1,73 to 0,91. The mean number of daily swabs for RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2 test increased progressively until reaching a plateau in the last three weeks of the study period. The M/F ratio of COVID-19 IP inversely correlated with the number of daily swabs for RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2 test (r = -0,87, p < 0.001), even after adjusting for the median age of COVID-19 cases (β = -0,66, p < 0,001).
Time-related changes of sex distribution of COVID-19 IP in Italy are strongly influenced by the number of swabs testing for SARS-CoV-2. Whether gender-related disparities in the access to the diagnosis of COVID-19 may explain such a result need to be explored.
不同数据集和研究报告了关于2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）发病率比例（IP）的性别分类数据。解释COVID-19在性别间分布不一致的因素仍不清楚。
本研究旨在分析2020年3月9日至5月11日意大利按性别分类的COVID-19发病率比例随时间的变化，并检验其与严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）拭子检测频率的关联。
从意大利可公开获取的数据库中收集COVID-19病例的性别分类数据以及逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）SARS-CoV-2检测数量的未分类数据。对RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2检测频率与COVID-19发病率比例的男女性别比（M/F）之间进行了粗关联和校正关联分析。
COVID-19发病率比例在两性中均逐渐增加。COVID-19发病率比例的性别流行情况随时间逆转，COVID-19发病率比例的M/F比从1.73降至0.91。RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2检测的每日拭子平均数量逐渐增加，直至在研究期的最后三周达到平稳状态。即使在对COVID-19病例的年龄中位数进行校正后，COVID-19发病率比例的M/F比仍与RT-PCR SARS-CoV-2检测的每日拭子数量呈负相关（r = -0.87，p < 0.001）（β = -0.66，p < 0.001）。
意大利COVID-19发病率比例的性别分布随时间的变化受到SARS-CoV-2拭子检测数量的强烈影响。是否COVID-19诊断获取方面的性别相关差异可以解释这一结果有待探索。
