DigitEye India Fact Checkers
An audio clip attributed to Dr Devi Shetty, Founder and Chairman of Narayana Hridayalaya (NH), is going viral on social media. The audio message says, people need not to get tested for Coronavirus till the ninth day of showing symptoms and not to wear masks as the medical staff need them utmost.
The audio message has been shared widely on Facebook and WhatsApp with the claim:”I request everyone to listen to this audio once. Dr.Devi Shetty sir is saying something important regarding #covid-19″.
Dr Devi Shetty founder of Narayana Hrudayalaya, Bengalore, speaks about Covid 19. Pl listen pic.twitter.com/0JHkW4XrVz
— Shivaram Mchinnappa (@Mshivaram23M) March 20, 2020
Dissuading people from rushing to get COVID-19 tests, the video says they need not go for test till the 9th day of symptoms appearing. “If you feel like your symptoms are worsening instead of improving, then you call the COVID 19 helpline because India has only 150,000 tests at this point of time. We might be able to get a maximum of 1.5 million only.” The audio further says that they belong to the Rotary Club and that they have a responsibility to help India fight COVID-19.
Since, Dr Devi Shetty is well-known in Bangalore and among the medical fraternity of doctors, his advice is always taken seriously by people across Karnataka and outside for his expertise on medical issues being faced in the country.
FACT CHECK:
When Digiteye India took it up for fact check, here are the results. The audio message has been categorically denied by Narayana Hridayalaya group (Narayana Health) using their official Twitter handle as below:
Please note this audio clip is not of Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairman and Founder, Narayana Health. It has been incorrectly attributed to him.
— Narayana Health (@NarayanaHealth) March 20, 2020
The voice was finally traced to Dr Santhosh Jacob, an orthopedician from Chennai who claimed that he had sent the message to his personal group in order to instill confidence in a friend. However, it was later attributed to Dr. Shetty of Narayana Hridayalaya group to make it circulate widely on social media.
CONCLUSION: The audio message on Coronavirus is not shared by Narayana Health group Chairman Dr. Devi Shetty. Our rating of the claim is Totally False ?????.
