Gender-disaggregated data are continuously needed in all aspects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, including cerebrovascular disease in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2. This brief review was conducted to summarize available evidence and highlight potential sex differences regarding the incidence, applied therapies, and outcomes of stroke in patients with COVID-19. Local and global registries of such patients were included, where comparisons with historical (pre-pandemic era) and contemporary (stroke patients negative for SARS-CoV-2) cohorts formed the basis of the analysis. According to the herein reported evidence, the frequency of stroke under COVID-19 does not seem to vary according to gender, although a tendency toward male predominance cannot be excluded. In terms of management and outcomes, more advanced therapies are used in men. Follow-up data on gender differences are needed, as the pandemic is evolving (no lockdowns; new strains; vaccinated or naturally immune populations).
Keywords: covid-19; critical care; gender differences; incidence; literature review; management; outcomes; sex differences; stroke.
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