5G Network Helps Spread Coronavirus: Myth or Truth?

Are you wondering whether 5G network spreads Coronavirus? Read why this myth needs to be debunked before more cell towers are burned down by vandals. 

We are all locked up in our houses amid the current COVID-19 pandemic with only the internet and TV as our outside contact. While extremely careful measures are being taken to curb this virus outbreak, there are several COVID-19 myths spreading like wildfire on the internet. One among these myths is the 5G coronavirus conspiracy theory.

According to a report from Financial Times, the conspiracy theory started going viral online in early January and it was rumored that COVID-19 was either caused by the frequencies used for the new 5G network or these signals weakened the immune system. Soon videos started cropping up online claiming that 5G accelerated the spread of coronavirus. Famous celebrities like Woody Harrelson among others started sharing articles online which linked 5G to coronavirus.

Destruction of the 5G Towers

This was soon followed by numerous acts of arson and vandalism across Europe where vandals started burning down cellphone masts. In one instance, vandals burned down a cellphone mast in Birmingham which was owned by BT, Britain’s largest telecommunications company. The tower which was burned down only had 2G, 3G and 4G network capabilities and lacked 5G capabilities. 

To stop the spread of these baseless fears authorities were forced to step in. British Cabinet Officer Minister, Michael Gove condemned these acts calling it a “dangerous nonsense”. The World Health Organization [WHO] denied any connection between the spread of coronavirus and 5G, while the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection stated that 5G signals posed no risk to human health.

What is 5G?

If you are new to the term 5G, let me give you a brief introduction. 5G is nothing but the fifth generation mobile wireless standard. Wireless standard have gone through generations of innovations and is currently at the fifth generation. While 1G and 2G existed when smartphones where first introduced, 3G and 4G were introduced for increasing the data transmission speed. 2G had a transmission speed of 9.6 Kbps which later increased to 56Kbps.

Imagine living in a generation where the internet speed is at a turtle pace of 9.6 Kbps!  

3G took the world by storm by offering 3Mbps speeds, superfast, compared to the second generation. 4G gave us the luxury of 100Mbps and now the speeds are better than ever. And now it is the fifth generation of wireless standard. 5G beats all the present home cable internet connections and is similar to fiber. 5G promises a speed of 10 Gbps, 10 times the speed vowed by 4G. 

Which Countries have 5G?

A network testing provider, Viavi, released data which identified countries that deployed 5G. In its report "The State of 5G Deployments," the company said that 5G has been deployed in 378 cities across 34 countries as of January 2020.

Pioneering the 5G herd is South Korea with 5G deployed in 85 cities followed by China with 57 cities. U.S is closing in on China with 50 and close on the heels of the U.S is U.K with 31 cities. Countries among the top ten for 5G are Saudi Arabia, Spain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Australia, Germany, and Romania. Verizon, AT&T and Huawei are among the companies competing for rolling out 5G network. 

However, there are still only a handful of cities in these 34 countries which have an established 5G network. 5G is still a far away reality for many around the world.

This fact itself is enough to prove that 5G networks is not a reason behind the spread of coronavirus. NHS England’s National medical director, Stephen Powis, stated the 5G conspiracy theory was a fake news with no scientific backing.

5G Health Concerns

Since the time network providers started talking about 5G, health concerns have existed. 5G plans to use millimeter waves that runs on very high-frequency radio waves. These signals can't travel long distances and require towers to be placed close together which demands installation in more locations. This caused worries that the radio waves could produce harmful radiation that could cause brain cancer, infertility, headaches and other illnesses.

The FDA and FCC have said that studies haven't found a link between radio frequency signals from cellphones or cell towers and disease. But because 5G is a brand new technology, there is no way to know its long-term effects on health.

So, is 5G Spreading Covid-19?

Scientifically speaking, exposure from 5G infrastructures is similar to that from existing mobile phone base stations. The difference between 5G and other generations is that while the latter uses radio frequencies in 6 Gigahertz range, the former needs higher frequencies compared to the rest, in the range of 30-300 Gigahertz.

Radiation comes into contact with your skin, for instance, when we hold a 5G mobile to our ear. This is when we are most exposed to non-ionising radiation. However, this exposure is well below the recommended safety level.

Radio frequency fields and the human body interact with each other via tissue heating. Radio frequency exposure levels from current technologies result in negligible temperature rise in the human body.

According to WHO, "As the frequency increases, there is less penetration into the body tissues and absorption of the energy becomes more confined to the surface of the body (skin and eye). Provided that the overall exposure remains below international guidelines, no consequences for public health are anticipated."

Now that you know 5G doesn’t spread COVID, you should know that the virus can land on your phone, because the SARS-CoV-2 favors surfaces. The virus also spreads through small droplets released from the nose or mouth of an infected person when they cough, spit, sneeze, talk or exhale. Transmission occurs when these droplets come into contact with the nose, eyes or mouth of  healthy person.

In case you are forced to share your phone with someone you don’t know and if that person is infected, the virus from the person can land on its surface. This might be while he/she is talking over the phone. Thus, make sure to disinfect your phone before you use it again.

To easily and conveniently disinfect your phone and other surfaces try the  Fast Disinfection Water Maker Machine selling at Chinavasion.

But a definite truth is that 5G doesn’t spread the virus. Julian Knight, a member of Parliament in the UK, who leads a committee investigating coronavirus-related online misinformation, said, “this is nonsense of the absolute highest order,” according to a New York Times report. He added that Facebook and YouTube needed to “get a grip” on the situation with regards to the videos that were spreading online. 

Get a Hold of 4G Phones

Speaking of phones, you need to remember that only a few countries in the world offer 5G connections. For now we will have to stick to 4G phones and 4G connections.

In case you are planning to buy a new 4G phone have look at Huawei phones selling on Chinavasion.

Huawei Honor edition offer fast performance with vibrant display and modern design. You can also opt for the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro, if you need a smartphone with an accomplished camera and excellent gaming performance.

Also, If you are planning to join the 5G herd earlier consider buying the OnePlus 7 Pro selling a Chinavasion.  Featuring an expensive display and a pop up camera, this smartphone is worth your money.

COVID-19 has become a large scale pandemic wreaking havoc across the globe. Millions are infected and are fighting for their lives. Until a vaccine is found, it is important that we curb the spread by staying indoors and following safety guidelines.

Stay home, stay healthy and stay safe! And, beware of fake news doing the rounds.