Coronavirus is far more deadly for men than women, with males 65 per cent more likely to die from an infection than females, new analysis shows.

The latest breakdown of figures from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Chinese scientists shows that, of all suspected cases, 1.7 per cent of women who contract the virus will die compared with 2.8 per cent of men.

In confirmed cases, the infection is fatal for 4.7 per cent of men but just 2.8 per cent of women, even though the gender balance for those testing positive is roughly split in half.

Some experts believe the sex imbalance relates to a higher prevalance of smoking or chronic alcohol use among men, while others think men are more likely to have underlying health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, making them more vulerable to an infection.

During the height of the Wuhan epidemic, 16 per cent of people receiving dialysis at Remnin Hospital contracted the disease, and 16 per cent died.

Although the overall global death rate is still being calculated, with estimates ranging from one to 3.8 per cent, the analysis by Worldometer shows it jumps hugely when people have health problems.

The risk of death rises to 10.5 per cent for people with cardiovascular disease, 7.3 per cent for diabetics, 6.3 per cent for those with chronic respiratory disease, six per cent for people with high blood pressure and 5.6 per cent for cancer sufferers.