Coronavirus: The length of your fingers may suggest if you are at a higher risk of long COVID

COVID-19 affects every individual differently. Even if they weigh the same and suffer from the same health conditions, they may develop different symptoms and face diverse difficulties. It is one of the mysteries scientists are still trying to figure out. Based on the several pieces of research carried out till now, genes, sex, environment, diet and several other factors may increase the chances of severe infection and even develop long COVID. In yet another attempt to understand the nature of the infectious virus, scientists recently conducted an elaborate study in which it was revealed that a person's fingernails can tell if he/she is more prone to suffer from long COVID-19.

The study published in the journal Scientific Reports on March 17 suggests that people with a shorter ring finger compared to their index finger might be at higher risk of severe COVID. A team of researchers from Swansea University in the U.K., the Medical University of Lodz in Poland, and Sweden's Karolinska University Hospital carried out the study to understand how a person's hormone levels (primarily testosterone) could affect their recovery when infected with COVID-19. The finding of the study revealed that people with shorter ring fingers are more prone to develop severe COVID and get hospitalized due to complications related to it. Apart from this, they also found out that people with greater size differences between fingers on their right and left hands were at an even higher risk of severe complications from the contagious virus.

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For the test, the scientists evaluated previous studies carried out to calculate hormone levels by examining the person's finger length. As per this study, having a longer ring finger is a sign of higher testosterone levels during growth in the womb, while a longer index finger is a sign of higher estrogen levels. The researchers believe that there can be a link between testosterone and the severity of COVID-19 as it has been witnessed that elderly men are among the most likely to suffer severe outcomes of COVID-19.

To expand on the previous study, the researchers gathered 154 participants and measured the length of their fingers in each hand. Among the participants, 54 people had been infected with COVID-19. In the end, they found that people with a bigger size ratio between their second and fourth fingers as well as between their third and fifth fingers suffered from severe coronavirus as compared to others. This simply means that low testosterone and high estrogen in both men and women put them at the risk of developing severe coronavirus infection.

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Even though the cases of coronavirus have come down in the past month, it is essential to follow the norms to stay safe. Getting your vaccination, wearing a mask, avoiding social gatherings and maintaining proper hygiene are the only ways to avoid coming into contact with the contagious virus. Apart from that, eat healthy and exercise regularly to boost immune health.