False: Seven simple hand exercises will boost immunity and prevent an individual from contracting COVID-19.

By: Archana Naresh
January 21 2022

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There is no valid scientific or medical reasoning associating hand exercises with COVID-19 prevention or treatment. The claim is false. A viral video claimed to provide lifetime protection against COVID-19 by following seven hand exercises. The person in the video is Dr. Manish Sharma, chief medical health officer of Gwalior. The doctor explains how to practice the seven hand exercises to boost immunity and prepare the body to fight against coronavirus. At the end of the video, Dr. Sharma claims that people practicing these exercises would never get infected. However, the Madhya Pradesh health department has served a show-cause notice to Dr. Sharma and labeled the information in the video as unverified and misleading. The information provided is not as per the state government's health guidelines or the ICMR. Harvard medical school suggests some helpful ways to strengthen our immune system like reducing stress, eating diet-rich foods, taking sufficient rest, etc. Some additional reports also suggest performing yoga, breathing exercises as beneficial in fighting the disease. But, there is no medical or scientific evidence to back the assertion that performing some simple hand exercises will help improve the immune system and prevent an individual from contracting COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19, including symptoms, prevention, and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.