Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, with a mask on his face, meets reporters at the prime minister's office in Tokyo on April 8, 2020. (Mainichi/Kan Takeuchi)

TOKYO -- Men account for about 60% of cases of infection with the novel coronavirus in Japan and more than 70% of deaths due to the virus in the country, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said during a press conference on April 9.

The top government spokesman, however, said, "It is unknown whether gender plays a role (in infections) as it is said that various factors are linked to patients developing severe conditions, such as their age and whether they have underlying ailments."

The World Health Organization has reported that men account for about two-thirds of deaths attributable to the novel coronavirus in Europe.

"There still are numerous points that remain unclear about this virus, and research will be carried out from an expert's point of view," Suga said.

(Japanese original by Shinichi Akiyama, Political News Department)