Staff Reporter
At least 57 people in the Free State are known to have succumbed to COVID-19, according to statistics released Sunday evening.
The province now has 9 004 confirmed cases of the acute respiratory disease with 1 103 recoveries.
The latest figure puts the Free State’s case fatality rate at 0.6 percent.
Lejweleputswa district, which has recorded 19 deaths, has the most fatalities in the province, followed by Mangaung.
About 58 percent of those infected are women, but more men have succumbed to the disease.
“Although more females are infected – 58 percent or 5 228 women contracted the disease – more deaths are recorded among males, (accounting for) 62 percent or 35 of the 57 deaths,” the Free State provincial health department said in a statement.
Scientists are yet to come up with a conclusive explanation for the disparity but, hypothetically, it is believed men lead less healthy lifestyles compared to women.
An associate staff physician for infectious diseases at Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi, Dr Maher Balkis, recently told world media that the difference in behaviour between men and women could be key.
“Lifestyle choices and behaviours play a part, with men less likely to seek medical help at the first signs of disease or to follow public heath advice,” Balkis said.
Men are also more likely to drink and smoke, which some researchers have said increase the chance of having pre-existing illnesses.
He said studies have also shown that men are less likely to wash their hands, a key way of preventing infection.
“Women are less susceptible to infection,” Balkis explained.
Although for most people COVID-19 causes only mild illness, it can make some people very ill.
In some cases, the disease can be fatal.
Older people, and those with pre-existing medical conditions — such as high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes — appear to be more vulnerable.
As of today, the Free State has recorded 701 new cases, with 287 in Mangaung Metro, 93 in Fezile Dabi, 113 in Thabo Mofutsanyana, 176 in Lejweleputswa and 14 in Xhariep.
About 18 more cases are yet to be allocated to their respective districts.
The prevalence among people aged below 20 years is 12 percent or 1 037 cases.
