5G mobile networks do not spread COVID-19
Claim: People on Facebook and Twitter are claiming that certain viral outbreaks in the last 100 years align with the implementation of new telecommunications technologies and the current COVID-19 or corona virus is linked to the new 5G mobile phone technology.
The claim is false. Technology experts and health authorities like World Health Organization (WHO) made statements that no telecommunication technology is related with the creating or spreading viruses, COVID-19 in this case.
As the false messages spread over the internet, 5G masts and cellular broadcasting towers were vandalized in the UK and the Netherlands.
The claim was posted on Facebook with this image.
The post can be seen here and is archived here.
Another image is going viral on social media which claims that there are high health risks due to 5G- induced radiations. It was posted on a Facebook page titled “We Say NO To 5G in Australia”, which has more than 18,000 followers. The post’s caption says, “#IDONOTCONSENTTO5G #stop5g”.
The post can be seen here and is archived here.
More accounts shared the above misleading information.
The tweets links the viral outbreaks the Spanish flu of 1918-1919, the 1950s influenza pandemic, the SARS epidemic of 2002-2003, the 2009 H1N1 pandemic and the 2019 novel corona virus pandemic — and innovations in telecommunications technologies.
Tweets related to this claim started trending as well.
They're rolling these out while everyone is hiding and worried about corona virus. Wake up people. Id2020 is coming, they're gonna be able to track us with that and these towers once they micro chip us.#5GCoronavirus #5GKILLS #5G #cancertowers #duringquaratine #Stop5G #WakeUp pic.twitter.com/1IbT6cS4lv
— Mikey_xrp89 (@Michael22847486) April 23, 2020
The tweet is archived here.
TRUTH
There is no evidence that states that the 5G like other wireless communication technologies, cause any viral outbreaks or cause any adverse effects on human health.
This was also reported by World Health Organization (WHO) that the past generations of mobile phone networks have not posed risks to human health.
“Viruses cannot travel on radio waves/mobile networks. COVID-19 is spreading in many countries that do not have 5G mobile networks. “A large number of studies have been performed over the last two decades to assess whether mobile phones pose a potential health risk. To date, no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by mobile phone use,” stated WHO.
Rodney Croft, a professor at the University of Wollongong and an International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection member, told AFP that there are not any adverse health effects caused by exposure to 5G.
“Radiation’ refers to both ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, and although ionizing radiation (such as from X-rays or nuclear reactions) can cause serious health effects such as cancer, non-ionizing radiation at the levels related to 5G cannot cause any health effects,” he added.
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), a government agency charged with monitoring and regulating radiation exposure, declared that radio wave exposure from 5G has not been shown to affect the immune system or cause any other long term or short term health effects.
Even BBC News tweeted that 5G does not spread Covid-19, steam inhalation is not a cure and skin colour can’t protect from catching the virus.
5G does not spread Covid-19, steam inhalation is not a cure and skin colour can't protect from catching the virus
Reality Check's Chris Morris tackles the latest false claims about coronavirus circulating onlinehttps://t.co/wkh9MnS8nY pic.twitter.com/wufmieJc6s
— BBC News (UK) (@BBCNews) April 23, 2020
The tweet has been archived here.
Hence, the claims of 5G telecommunication networks being linked to the creation and spread of corona virus is false.
