Covid-19 claiming more male lives in B.C.

The Covid-19 virus has claimed more male victims, than females in British Columbia.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry told Thursday’s update 95 men have died from the coronavirus which is 62 per cent of the province’s 152 deaths.

Thirty-eight per cent of the deaths have been females (57).

“Our stats are slightly different from what we’re seeing in other provinces, and are in keeping in what we’ve been seeing internationally where there seems to be a differential, more severe effect on men than women,” said Dr. Henry. “We’re not entirely sure what the rationale is for that, and there area lot of studies going on around the world to try and understand the immunology better.”

Of B.C.’s total cases, 52 per cent are females and 48 per cent are males.

B.C. has 12 new cases of Covid since Wednesday for a total of 2,479, along with three more deaths, one in Vancouver Coastal and two in Fraser Health.

Interior Health has one new case since Wednesday for a total of 183.

There are 307 active cases and 2,020 people have fully recovered.

Forty-three people are in hospital with 8 in intensive care.

Dr. Henry also provided more guidelines on when people should be wearing anon-medical mask after Canada’s chief medical health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, recommended wearing a mask in situations where physical distancing wasn’t possible.

Henry called wearing a mask “an additional layer of protection that can prevent you from letting your droplets out.”

She says some of the settings where it may help are on public transit or in small retail stores.

“Really it’s a measure of being polite and [showing] respect to others, and in that sense, it certainly is something people can consider. And we would recommend it in certain situations for small periods of time where you may not be able to control your distance.”

Henry says other situations would include for appointments for physiotherapy, massage therapy or with a hair stylist.

Cases by health region:

Vancouver Coastal: 887
Fraser Health: 1223
Vancouver Island Health 126
Interior Health: 183 (increase of 1 from Wednesday)
Northern Health: 60