NEW YORK • The coronavirus that originated in China has spread fear and anxiety around the world. But while the novel virus has largely spared one vulnerable group - children - it appears to pose a particular threat to middle-aged and older adults, particularly men.

Two weeks ago, the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the largest analysis of coronavirus cases to date. Although men and women have been infected in roughly equal numbers, researchers found the death rate among men was 2.8 per cent, compared with 1.7 per cent among women.