{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,12]],"date-time":"2026-10-12T19:30:05Z","timestamp":1791833405514,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,24]],"date-time":"2026-04-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776988800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected several aspects of daily life and seriously threatened public health. The main aim of this study was to investigate the differences in human response to SARS-CoV-2 virus infection depending on sex, based on emergency medical team (EMT) interventions. The study was conducted in north-eastern Poland and were based on 12,110 EMT interventions, in which SARS-CoV-2 virus infection was indicated as an ICD-10 codification-based diagnosis. The study used descriptive statistics, Mann\u2013Whitney U, and Chi-square tests. Patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 accounted for 4.6% of all EMT interventions during the period under analysis. Younger males were more likely to acquire infection than females (\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001)\u2014the median (Me) age was 68.0 vs. 71.0. In infected males, a life-threatening condition was diagnosed more frequently than in females (\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001; 53.6% vs. 48.6%). Females remained at the place of call more often (\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001; 46.2% vs. 39.6%), whereas males were more frequently transported to hospital (\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001; 59.3% vs. 53.3%) and were more likely to be declared dead (\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f=\u202f0.002; 0.8% vs. 0.4%). In males, the predominant complaints included dyspnoea (\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001; 47.2% vs. 38.4%), abnormalities of breathing (\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f=\u202f0.001; 40.1% vs. 37.2%) and cyanosis (\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001; 3.2% vs. 2.1%), whereas, in females, these included vomiting (\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001; 9.4% vs. 4.4%), diarrhoea (\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001; 7.8% vs. 5.0%) and collapse (\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f=\u202f0.034; 8.6% vs. 7.5%). The blood oxygen saturation value (SpO\n                    <jats:sub>2<\/jats:sub>\n                    ) (\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001) in males (Me\u202f=\u202f92.0) was significantly lower than that in females (Me\u202f=\u202f94.0). Oxygen therapy (\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f&amp;lt;\u202f0.001; 29.0% vs. 24.0%) was more frequently associated with males. The course of the COVID-19 infection depends on the sex of the patient, and male sex is a risk factor for its severe course. Therefore, public health strategies and actions should take into account sex as an important factor in the disease process, prevention and the fight against the pandemic.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1747666","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,24]],"date-time":"2026-04-24T05:40:51Z","timestamp":1777009251000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Sex differences in response to COVID-19 infection: a retrospective study based on emergency medical team interventions"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Krzysztof Marek","family":"Mitura","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Independent Public Health Care Center RM-MEDITRANS Emergency Station and Sanitary Transport in Siedlce","place":["Siedlce, Poland"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daniel","family":"Celi\u0144ski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Emergency Medical Service, Medical University of Warsaw","place":["Warsaw, Poland"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Olga","family":"Bielan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing, School of Public Health, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn","place":["Olsztyn, Poland"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jadwiga","family":"Snarska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery, Collegium Medicum, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn","place":["Olsztyn, Poland"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"S\u0142awomir Dariusz","family":"Szajda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Emergency Medical Service, Collegium Medicum, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn","place":["Olsztyn, Poland"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2139","DOI":"10.1007\/s11069-023-05959-2","article-title":"Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the social sphere and lessons for crisis management: a literature review","volume":"117","author":"Alizadeh","year":"2023","journal-title":"Nat Hazards"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"293","DOI":"10.1016\/j.bpa.2020.11.009","article-title":"Economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare facilities and systems: international perspectives","volume":"35","author":"Kaye","year":"2021","journal-title":"Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"653","DOI":"10.3390\/v14040653","article-title":"SARS-CoV-2: evolution and emergence of new viral variants","volume":"14","author":"Flores-Vega","year":"2022","journal-title":"Viruses"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"485","DOI":"10.1093\/qjmed\/hcae102","article-title":"The emerging challenge of FLiRT variants: KP.1.1 and KP.2 in the global pandemic landscape","volume":"117","author":"Kumar","year":"2024","journal-title":"QJM"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e111","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jemermed.2023.04.017","article-title":"The impact of COVID-19 incidence on emergency medical services utilization","volume":"65","author":"Moskatel","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Emerg Med"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"01004","DOI":"10.1051\/shsconf\/20219201004","article-title":"Global impact of COVID 19 on 112 emergency system detailed for national 112 emergency system of Romania","volume":"92","author":"B\u0103r\u0103nescu","year":"2021","journal-title":"SHS Web of Conf"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1402525","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1402525","article-title":"Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on potential health emergencies in paediatric patients: a retrospective cohort study","volume":"12","author":"Mitura","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"ref8","year":"2024"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1407","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(21)02183-8","article-title":"Effectiveness of mRNA BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine up to 6 months in a large integrated health system in the USA: a retrospective cohort study","volume":"398","author":"Tartof","year":"2021","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e076990","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj-2023-076990","article-title":"Covid-19 vaccine effectiveness against post-covid-19 condition among 589 722 individuals in Sweden: population based cohort study","volume":"383","author":"Lundberg-Morris","year":"2023","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"533","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cger.2022.03.005","article-title":"Long COVID-19: the need for an interdisciplinary approach","volume":"38","author":"Rodriguez-Sanchez","year":"2022","journal-title":"Clin Geriatr Med"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"497","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(20)30183-5","article-title":"Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China","volume":"395","author":"Huang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"231","DOI":"10.1016\/j.idc.2022.01.003","article-title":"COVID-19 pathogenesis and clinical manifestations","volume":"36","author":"Hernandez Acosta","year":"2022","journal-title":"Infect Dis Clin N Am"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1344086","DOI":"10.3389\/fimmu.2024.1344086","article-title":"The knowns and unknowns of long COVID-19: from mechanisms to therapeutical approaches","volume":"15","author":"Gheorghita","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front Immunol"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1677","DOI":"10.3390\/biomedicines11061677","article-title":"Gender differences in response to COVID-19 infection and vaccination","volume":"11","author":"Zaher","year":"2023","journal-title":"Biomedicine"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"90","DOI":"10.1007\/s12016-022-08921-5","article-title":"Risk and protective factors for COVID-19 morbidity, severity, and mortality","volume":"64","author":"Zhang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Clin Rev Allergy Immunol"},{"key":"ref17","year":"2024"},{"key":"ref18","year":"2020"},{"key":"ref19","year":"2023"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1232","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph19031232","article-title":"Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on quality of health services provided by emergency medical services and emergency departments in the opinion of patients: pilot study","volume":"19","author":"Leszczynski","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int J Environ Res Public Health"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"297","DOI":"10.1080\/10903127.2022.2064946","article-title":"Prehospital COVID-19-related encounters predict future hospital utilization","volume":"27","author":"Finn","year":"2023","journal-title":"Prehosp Emerg Care"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e044640","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2020-044640","article-title":"Demographic risk factors for COVID-19 infection, severity, ICU admission and death: a meta-analysis of 59 studies","volume":"11","author":"Pijls","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1177\/17455065211022262","article-title":"Immune system and COVID-19 by sex differences and age","volume":"17","author":"Ciarambino","year":"2021","journal-title":"Womens Health"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-030-71697-4_6","article-title":"Sex differences and COVID-19","volume":"1327","author":"Thomas","year":"2021","journal-title":"Adv Exp Med Biol"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e2223","DOI":"10.1002\/rmv.2223","article-title":"Sex-based differences in severity and mortality in COVID-19","volume":"31","author":"Alwani","year":"2021","journal-title":"Rev Med Virol"},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"309","DOI":"10.1111\/acel.12326","article-title":"How sex and age affect immune responses, susceptibility to infections, and response to vaccination","volume":"14","author":"Giefing-Kroll","year":"2015","journal-title":"Aging Cell"},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"341","DOI":"10.1055\/s-0040-1715455","article-title":"Covid-19 and sex-\/gender-specific differences: understanding the discrimination","volume":"47","author":"Amgalan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Semin Thromb Hemost"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e0250523","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0250523","article-title":"Sex differences in the case-fatality rates for COVID-19\u2014a comparison of the age-related differences and consistency over seven countries","volume":"16","author":"Green","year":"2021","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e112","DOI":"10.3346\/jkms.2020.35.e112","article-title":"Report on the epidemiological features of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in the Republic of Korea from January 19 to march 2, 2020","volume":"35","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Korean Med Sci"},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"549","DOI":"10.1093\/fampra\/cmaa130","article-title":"Clinical learnings from a virtual primary care program monitoring mild to moderate COVID-19 patients at home","volume":"38","author":"Pimlott","year":"2021","journal-title":"Fam Pract"},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1390775","DOI":"10.3389\/fmed.2024.1390775","article-title":"Prevalence of skin manifestations in patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"11","author":"de Aguiar","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front Med"},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"96","DOI":"10.1186\/s12890-021-01455-0","article-title":"Covid-19 and gender: lower rate but same mortality of severe disease in women-an observational study","volume":"21","author":"Raimondi","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMC Pulm Med"},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"266","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1525-1497.2001.00229.x","article-title":"Somatic symptom reporting in women and men","volume":"16","author":"Barsky","year":"2001","journal-title":"J Gen Intern Med"},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"H296","DOI":"10.1152\/ajpheart.00755.2020","article-title":"Sex differences in COVID-19: candidate pathways, genetics of ACE2, and sex hormones","volume":"320","author":"Viveiros","year":"2021","journal-title":"Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol"},{"key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1029190","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2022.1029190","article-title":"Sex-differences in COVID-19 diagnosis, risk factors and disease comorbidities: a large US-based cohort study","volume":"10","author":"Kharroubi","year":"2022","journal-title":"Front Public Health"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Public Health"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1747666\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,24]],"date-time":"2026-04-24T05:40:52Z","timestamp":1777009252000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1747666\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,24]]},"references-count":35,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1747666"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1747666","relation":{},"ISSN":["2296-2565"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2296-2565","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,24]]},"article-number":"1747666"}}