While the coronavirus continues to spread rapidly, misinformation and conspiracy theories surrounding it also become rampant.
One of the most recent and bizarre conspiracy theories which currently surrounds the pandemic is that the next-generation technology, 5G network which is currently being rolled out worldwide is fueling and aiding to the spread of the deadly disease. However, the theory remains baseless and is obviously untrue.
Reports claiming that there is a supposed link between the 5G and the coronavirus disease has continued to circulate online as QAnon and New Agers purported that elites from around the globe are using the technology to spread the virus. The claims and perpetuated hoaxes are amplified by unsophisticated algorithms and ushered the unsubstantiated theories into the mainstream.
There have also been reports of several attacks on cell phone towers after the theories spread which sparked the concern of officials in the United Kingdom, who believe the attacks are connected. The theories are also supported and spread even by celebrities and influencers such as Woody Harrelson and M.I.A, who have millions of followers online.
Despite the fact that there is no evidence to support the hoax stating that the 5G networks indeed spread COVID-19, the conspiracy theory still refuses to subside.
What is 5G?
Since theories connecting 5G and COVID-19 refuse to die and continues to suggest that the next generation technology cause the disease. Even more insidious claims say that 5G network emits radiation which causes the immune system to weaken and makes people more vulnerable to the disease. In order for people to understand the situation and not immediately believe what they see online, it is important to understand how 5G network works.
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5G is a wireless network that is expected to enable a ton of technologies that will change the way people work and live. Potential applications of the technology include remote surgeries, self-driving cars and automated factories, which may take a while.
Its big difference from its predecessor 4G is that 5G offers higher bandwidth, faster speeds and lower lag time in communications between servers and devices. Moreover, signals of 5G networks run over new radio frequencies and require updates on radios and equipment on the cell towers.
What made people to link 5G to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Even if 5G networks were already available in some countries and cities in 2018, it was only widely adopted in 2019, which is the same year that the coronavirus first emerged in Wuhan, China. Due to this coincidence, conspiracy theories begin to link the two, while forgetting the adage that says "Correlation does not imply causation."
Moreover, two maps of the United Stated which these theorists purport to have suggested that the same cities with 5G network towers received the hardest COVID-19 hit has been circulating online. However, experts have also debunked this as a mere coincidence since aside from COVID-19 and 5G the said cities are large metropolitan areas with large populations that make them vulnerable to the disease and which also makes them more likely to adopt the 5G networks.
Based on research, the same groups who have long claimed that cancer can be caused by wireless airwaves without credible support are also the ones spreading the 5G/COVID-19 conspiracy theories.
