In line with its commitment to scientific research and exploration of the role science plays in contemporary society, the Prada Group steps forward to support PROTEGGIMI. Coming on the back of the “Human doctors, warrior patients” project — a partnership with the Gianni Bonadonna Foundation to develop innovative cancer treatment and research — the new initiative aims to explore the current coronavirus pandemic predominantly affects men and seeks to foster dialogue between neuroscience and culture.

Developed by the San Raffaele research hospital in Milan and coordinated by urologist and andrologist Prof. Andrea Salonia, the PROTEGGIMI project will explain the disparity in the impact of COVID-19 on men and women and to assemble a European register of epidemiological data on COVID-19, broken down by sex. According to the latest data, men account for 66% of deaths from COVID-19 in Italy – a percentage that rises as the age bracket gets younger – and they are also more likely to require treatment in intensive care, accounting for 82% of all admissions in the Lombardy region. Sex hormones, testosterone in particular, are thought to be one of the culprits of this disparity.

“It is crucial to be able to examine separate data for men and women”, Prof. Salonia explained, “if we are to understand whether testosterone levels are linked to the severity of the illness, and to assess any long-term impacts on the overall health of men who have recovered from the virus. We hope this research will produce its first results in the next few weeks”.