  Unfolding different gender roles is preceding the efforts to reduce gender
inequality. This paper analyzes COVID-19 family clusters outside Hubei Province
in mainland China during the 2020 outbreak, revealing significant differences
in spreading patterns across gender and family roles. Results show that men are
more likely to be the imported cases of a family cluster, and women are more
likely to be infected within the family. This finding provides new supportive
evidence of the men as breadwinner and women as homemaker (MBWH) gender roles
in China. Further analyses reveal that the MBWH pattern is stronger in eastern
than in western China, stronger for younger than for elder people. This paper
offers not only valuable references for formulating gender-differentiated
epidemic prevention policies but also an exemplification for studying group
differences in similar scenarios.
