Corona virus pandemic has successfully frighten human being all over the world. Frightened people often lose their prudence- even sometime common sense, and it drives them to false claim, misconception, conspiracy theories and unscientific beliefs to do.
The best recent example may be 5G Corona Virus Conspiracy Theory.
What is 5G Corona Virus Conspiracy?
Some conspiracy theorists blame 5G for the rapid spread of coronavirus. They believes that 5G technology degrades the immunity system of human body. They even claim that coronavirus can somehow be transmitted through 5G technology which is used in mobile phone networks and relies on signals carried by radio waves.
Rory Cellan-Jones, Technology correspondent of BBC reported about the 5G coronavirus conspiracy theory:
I've scanned a number of the 5G groups, and found plenty of comments suggesting there is a link between the virus and the new networks. The Stop 5G UK group has more than 27,000 members, one of whom has posted this: I've heard it's not a serious "Virus", it's about as bad as a flu or cold. So really this is a perfect plan to cover up EMF/5G related illnesses.
Scroll down, and others have shared links to websites and videos connecting the coronavirus to the rollout of 5G in the part of China where it originated. 5G launches in Wuhan weeks before Coronavirus outbreak reads the headline on an article in a publication called the News Commenter.
A YouTube video with the title WUHAN CORONA VIRUS IS A 5G L.E.D SMART STREET LIGHT TEST BED is also popular in this group and others. Other YouTube videos share complex conspiracy theories including a suggestion that the Diamond Princess cruise ship whose passengers had to be quarantined was affected by the virus because it used 5G technology for its connectivity.
Medical practitioner Thomas Cowan from California, accused in March that coronavirus is caused by 5G. He argued that the people of African countries not to be affected significantly (till that time) by the pandemic as Africa is not a 5G region.
This conspiracy theory spreaded rapidly through the social media. And while some celebrities shared it in their social media including Amanda Holden, Woody Harrelson, boxer Amir Khan and so on, then it influenced the mass people.
Public Reaction
This is now a viral issue. And people like viral items either they are fake or real, doesn't matter. More than 54,000 posts related with 5G coronavirus conspiracy posted on Facebook in the last seven days alone, generating over two million interactions.source
The social media viral conspiracy theory became the cause of some dangerous real-world consequences that is ongoing still now. James Tempton reported recently at wired uk about the dark turn of this conspiracy theory:
Since March 30, there have been 77 arson attacks on mobile phone masts across the UK, with staff working on mobile infrastructure also reporting 180 incidents of abuse. There have been 13 additional incidents of sabotage reported, ranging from failed arson attacks to attempts to damage mobile network infrastructure in other ways. From April 20 through May 5, more than a week after the supposed peak of attacks in early April, there were 16 arson or sabotage attacks on mobile phone masts. When failed or attempted attacks are added to the tally, that number increases to 74.
According to Wikipedia: By 6 April 2020, at least 20 mobile phone masts in the UK had been vandalised since the previous Thursday. Because of the slow rollout of 5G in the UK, many of the damaged masts had only 3G and 4G equipment. Mobile phone and home broadband operators estimated there were at least 30 incidents of confronting engineers maintaining equipment in the week up to 6 April. As of 30 May, there have been 29 incidents of attempted arson at mobile phone masts in the Netherlands, including one case where "Fuck 5G" was written. There have been incidents in Ireland and Cyprus as well. source
Catherine Colloms, managing director, Openreach says to a news reporter:
It’s deeply frustrating and saddening that our engineers are facing abuse of this kind! We’ve seen a worrying surge in incidents where our engineers are being subjected to mindless verbal abuse or intimidation linked to the bogus 5G theory. It really needs to stop.
Is it a conspiracy or real?
The worst kind of fake news mentioned by Professor Steve Powis, who is a national medical director of NHS England.
And British Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove marked it as: just nonsense, dangerous nonsense as well.
This notions are termed as complete rubbish by Dr Simon Clarke, an associate professor of the University of Reading. He explained,
The idea that 5G lowers your immune system doesn't stand up to scrutiny. Your immune system can be dipped by all sorts of thing - by being tired one day, or not having a good diet. Those fluctuations aren't huge but can make you more susceptible to catching viruses. Radio waves can disrupt your physiology as they heat you up, meaning your immune system can't function. But [the energy levels from] 5G radio waves are tiny and they are nowhere near strong enough to affect the immune system. There have been lots of studies on this. Source
5G in electromagnetic spectrum
Adam Finn, professor of paediatrics at the University of Bristol explained,
The present epidemic is caused by a virus that is passed from one infected person to another. We know this is true. We even have the virus growing in our lab, obtained from a person with the illness. Viruses and electromagnetic waves that make mobile phones and internet connections work are different things. As different as chalk and cheese. Source
Euro News investigated this conspiracy theory as follows:
Scientists confirm that COVID-19 is transmitted via respiratory droplets, and they are quick to point out that you cannot transmit droplets through 5G waves... 5G is in a band of low-frequency waves, like WiFi, that are “non-ionising”. The overwhelming weight of scientific evidence has shown that non-ionising radiation does not cause internal damage to our cells... So if we listen to the science, the simple fact is that 5G cannot be behind the pandemic, either by spreading the virus or by degrading our immune response.
And another real life example is that coronavirus spreaded and even still now continues it's spreading in many geographical territories that do not have 5G networks.
Facebook deleted many messages that was encouraging attacks on 5G equipment. source YouTube has announced to reduce the content related with 5G conspiracy theory. source