Study: Men With Long Ring Fingers Less Likely To Die From COVID-19

This almost sounds like some sort of old wive's tale, except the issue in question isn't that old. According to a new study published in the journal Early Human Development, men with longer ring fingers may have a lower chance of dying from COVID-19.

The length of ring fingers is believed to be linked to how much testosterone men are exposed to in the womb. A longer ring finger indicates the fetus had greater hormonal exposure. The new study, conducted by Swansea University in the U.K., found that men with low testosterone levels are twice as likely to die of COVID-19 than men with higher levels.

Testosterone is believed to protect against severe coronavirus-related illness because it increases the concentration of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in the body. Other studies suggest that even higher levels of ACE2 can also protect men against lung damage. So while a longer ring finger won't prevent a man from contracting COVID-19, it could mean his symptoms are less severe.

The Swansea University researchers examined ring fingers of men in 41 countries for the study. You can see exactly how they measured the fingers and determined their findings HERE.