Role of testosterone in SARS-CoV-2 infection: A key pathogenic factor and a biomarker for severe pneumonia.

Objectives: To investigate the association between sex hormones and the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Furthermore, associations between sex hormones and systemic inflammation markers, viral shedding and length of hospital stay were studied.

Design And Methods: This case-control study included a total of 48 male patients with COVID-19 admitted to an Italian reference hospital.