During the first year of the pandemic, men died from COVID at a much higher rate than women

(CDC) Death rates in the United States are higher in rural than urban areas, and
the difference has grown over the last 2 decades (1). Death rates for all of
the 10 leading causes of death in 2019 were higher in rural than urban areas
(1). In 2020, deaths due to COVID-19 became the third leading cause of
death in the United States (2). This report presents COVID-19 death rates
for rural and urban areas in 2020 by sex and age group (under age 65 and 65
and over). Rates are presented for the six categories of urbanicity according
to the decedent’s county of residence (3). Urban areas include large central
metropolitan, large fringe metropolitan, medium metropolitan, and small
metropolitan; rural areas include micropolitan and noncore (nonmetropolitan).