More women than men died in Canada during the first months of the COVID pandemic, StatCan finds
A new report from Statistics Canada has found that more women died of COVID-19 than men did during the earliest months of the pandemic.
The article, published Wednesday in StatCan's peer-reviewed journal Health Reports, also says that this largely affected non-immigrants aged 85 and older – a "phenomenon" that is "likely related to the high concentration of COVID-19 deaths in long-term care homes, where a lower institutionalization rate by immigrants had been observed."
The report provides a possible explanation for why Canada appeared to diverge from global trends early in the pandemic, when more men died from COVID-19 worldwide.
The latest figures from the Public Health Agency of Canada show that more than 55,000 people have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began, largely from 2020 to 2022, although some of the reporting by provinces and territories has since changed.
As the StatCan report notes, more than 80 per cent of the earliest COVID-19 deaths in Canada occurred in long-term care homes, much higher than the 38 per cent average among other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. Those 85 and older made up more than half of COVID-19 deaths and two out of three long-term care residents are women.
The report states that COVID-19 risk factors, including diabetes, cancer and smoking, are higher among Canadian men. The COVID-19 death rate among immigrant workers in Canada also was higher among men in health care and social assistance, despite more women working in that field.
Canada, however, had proportionately more female COVID-19 deaths, particularly from May 2020 until early 2021.
These sex differences "disappeared" by summer 2021, which the report says could be due to high vaccination rates in long-term care homes. The report says this reduced infections and serious outcomes, including death, from COVID-19 by more than 90 per cent.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Canadian government reaches C-18 online news deal with Google
The Canadian government has reached a deal with Google over the Online News Act known as C-18, Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge announced Wednesday. The agreement will see the tech giant continue to share Canadian news content, and in return Google will make $100 million in annual payments to news companies.
Here is what Canada's drug shortage situation looks like right now
Compared to the peak pandemic years of 2020 and 2021, Canada experienced an uptick in prescription drug shortages in 2022 that Health Canada says has continued throughout 2023.
U.S. says alleged murder plotter was directed by India and mentioned B.C. killing
U.S. officials have charged an Indian national in a plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist on American soil – in a case they say is connected to the slaying of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia.
Sask. man accused of sexually assaulting 3 boys arrested at daycare
An Assiniboia, Sask. man stands accused of sexually assaulting three boys under the age of 12 was arrested at a home-based daycare.
LIVE at 1:30 Edmonton police to announce charges in deaths of 2 constables
The Edmonton Police Service will hold a news conference Wednesday afternoon to announce charges in the deaths of two constables earlier this year.
Provinces are moving away from pap smears, but more infrastructure is needed
Some provinces are moving to HPV tests as the primary mode of cervical cancer screening, and others are close behind, an expert says.
Once a furniture store then a dance hall, this century-old theatre in St. John's returns to its roots
The Majestic Theatre has reopened in downtown St. John’s as a fully functioning arts venue. The project backers hope it’s a return to form for the historic building.
Homes near ski hills are increasing in price across Canada. Here's where
A new report from Royal LePage predicts the cost of homes near ski hills will not cool in 2024, but instead heat up across in many regions. Here's where.
Canadian government selects Boeing military plane in sole-source deal, bypassing Bombardier
The federal government is expected to announce Thursday that it has selected Boeing to replace the military's aging patrol planes in a multibillion-dollar deal, according to three sources familiar with the matter.