Study highlights how the sex differences in COVID-19 are linked to ACE2 protein Female COVID-19 patients face less severe disease complications and a lower risk of dying than male patients thanks to hormones and chromosomes that contribute to a stronger immune response, according to new research from a University of Alberta-led team. "The highlight of our study is how the sex differences in COVID-19 are linked to ACE2," said senior author Gavin Oudit, professor of medicine in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, Canada Research Chair in Heart Failure and director of the Heart Function Clinic ...