Study Shows Bald Men May Be More At Risk For Severe COVID-19 Symptoms

COVID-19 hits a number of people harder. What we know is that this includes older people, as well as those with underlying medical problems. But, a new study says that even bald men may have to be added to the list.

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Researchers at Brown University have reason to believe that bald men are more at risk when it comes to severe coronavirus symptoms—and it's all because of androgens. Androgens are male sex hormones (such as testosterone) that cause hair loss in men.

"We think androgens or male hormones are definitely the gateway for the virus to enter our cells. We really think baldness is a perfect predictor of severity," says lead author Dr. Carlos Wambier.

Since coronavirus spread across the world, scientists saw a noticeable percentage of bald men exhibiting severe symptoms. In Madrid alone, 79 percent of COVID-19 patients across three hospitals were bald. 

While the study may seem unimportant, it could be the key to a cure or at least a helping hand. Finding out a group that's more susceptible to COVID-19 will help in finding treatments. In fact, there have already been promising results when it comes to using androgen-deprivation therapy.

"A vaccine might ultimately be found for SARS-CoV-2; however, if a vaccine is not found or found to be ineffective, androgen suppression as a prophylactic treatment could reduce COVID-19 disease burden," Wambier says.