Under the title "COVID-19 Outbreak: 'Frightening' Impact of the Men's European Championship," Sky News Arabia published a report highlighting a study that is the first of its kind to distinguish COVID-19 infections between men and women. Researchers revealed a higher likelihood of infection in men compared to women and explained the reasons.
The results of a study conducted by Imperial College London showed that men are 30 percent more likely to contract COVID-19 than women. The study pointed out that gatherings to watch the ongoing European Championship may be one of the key reasons for the increased rate of infections among men at this time, according to Sky News.
Stephen Riley, a professor of infectious diseases at Imperial College, stated: "If I had to speculate on the impact of the European Championship, I would expect the effect on infections to be significant, as people mix indoors more frequently during the tournament." He added, "It's not just about the gatherings in and around the stadiums, but also the general behavior during the tournament and gathering in different places; unfortunately, we do not have direct studies on this matter."
Since the study was conducted during the European Championship, its connection to the continental tournament is highly probable. In the same context, Scotland reported that 2,000 COVID-19 cases in the country are directly related to gatherings associated with the European Championship.
Experts warned that easing restrictions would lead to large numbers of people mixing, especially during a major social and sporting event like the European Championship, which could result in a "concerning" rise in infection cases. According to the study, the new Delta variant may also be a reason for the increase in infections due to its rapid spread. Another reason is the low vaccination rates among the youth in Britain.
