The start
A few weeks ago, American singer Keri Hilson took on Twitter and Instagram to blast 5G and its links to 5G. The now deleted tweet read as follows:
People have been trying to warn us about 5G for YEARS. Petitions, organizations, studies… what we’re going through is the effects of radiation. 5G launched in CHINA. Nove 1, 2019. People dropped dead. See attached and go to my IG stories for me.
In another tweet, she claimed the following:
Why do you think the virus is not happening in Africa like that? Not a 5G region. There may be a few bases there, but not as prevalent as other countries. It has nothing to do with Melanin (for those theories)…
Just a misconception
If the above two statements sound outrageous, then it is because they certainly are. Keri’s claims did not age well because Coronavirus is in Africa too, a continent she claims was safe from a virus that has everything to do with 5G. We also say that the tweets aged badly because they have since been deleted, and one cannot wonder who put her to it.
The case above is one of the misconceptions that have been peddled against COVID-19 and 5G. The successor of 4G is being installed across developed markets such as the US and UK, with lead developers being Chinese corporation Huawei. While Huawei is not a popular choice for markets affiliated to the US, the company has done a good job in its home turf, with notable roll outs that are supported by three major carriers. These are the leads that are wrongly reported to have been the source of COVID-19.
However, there is no evidence that 5G signals are linked to COVID-19. But you ask, where did this conspiracy theory come from?
Well, simple Google Search can guide you just fine to a couple of articles that argue for the connection. There are two theories that have since been given in support of the connection: 1) that 5G might suppress the immune system of human beings and, 2) that the virus is spread through 5G radio waves.
However, the claims are not supported by any scientific data. Also, as we mentioned, COVID-19 is affecting countries that have not deployed any 5G infrastructure.
How 5G works
Similar to existing generations of wireless technologies such as 3G and 4G, 5G allows the transmission of data through radio signals. Radio waves or signals are also used for TV, radio transmitters and satellites, name them.
Radio waves constitute a small section of the electromagnetic spectrum that emit electromagnetic radiation. The waves used for 5G and previous generations of wireless networks are located on the lowest level of the electromagnetic spectrum alongside the likes of visible light and microwaves. Those waves generate non-ionizing radiation, implying they cannot damage cells or DNA as is the case with waves higher up on the electromagnetic spectrum such as UV light or x-rays.
5G makes connections faster because it uses higher frequencies of radio waves (than 4G), not waves higher up on the electromagnetic spectrum. At the same time, it has been reported that the frequency of 5G radio waves very low, up to 66 times smaller than the safety limits defined by industry standards.
Debunking the connection between 5G and COVID-19
- We repeat that the radiation from the propagation of 5G signals is below the levels of electromagnetic radiation, and cannot impact cells or DNA in any way.
- That 5G aids the spread of the virus is not true. Corona viruses do not ‘talk to each other,’ and they don’t make any decisions on who they should infect. If that were the case, then why was Iran hit badly with Corona cases, yet it has no 5G infrastructure?
To this end, it is worth noting that the virus is spread through person to person interactions such as being in close contact with an infected person (within 6 feet), through respiratory droplets from a sneeze, cough or talk, or spread from contaminated surfaces or objects.
There are a ton of internet tools that can be used to learn more about the virus, and how to protect yourself. The WHO has a WhatsApp bot for passing essential information to the masses. Lastly, tools such as Google Discover on your smartphones have a persistent card with key information about the virus, including metrics such as infection maps, recoveries and deaths.
