Is 5G responsible for the spread of the Coronavirus? This is what the latest conspiracy theories claim, which have even led to the destruction of some radio antennas around the world. But what is true in this theory?

Let's briefly explore what we mean when we talk about 5G, and then delve into conspiracy theories related to radio waves in general and COVID-19 in particular.

What is 5G

We have seen it on many occasions, but it is good to review it for those who are not aware. 5G is the acronym of 5th Generation, indicating the latest frontier in the world of mobile phone connections. Practically speaking, if today we browse from smartphones with 4G/IMT-Advanced technology, tomorrow with 5G we will have much higher performance and speed.

But 5G is especially important for the applications it enables. The global hi-tech world is increasingly moving towards new frontiers: Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, digital payments, digitalization of institutions. All these new frontiers will be enabled by 5G itself., which therefore also represents an important stimulus for the economy and digital infrastructures of the present and the future.

In this video, an in-depth look at 5G from Assoprovider Board Member Paolo Di Francesco:

Radio waves, mobile phones, 5G and health risks

Wireless technologies have long been suspected of causing health problems. According to various reconstructions, the authorship of theories on the dangers of radio waves should be attributed tothe physics expert Bill P. Curry, who already twenty years ago studied the potential impacts of installing wireless networks in school classrooms. In a lengthy report, Curry wrote that they "probably constituted a serious health hazard."

Since then, his work has been cited as a source by numerous anti-wireless entities.: counter-information websites, consumer associations, individuals, and so on. In particular, one of its graphs caused a stir, which allegedly correlates the amount of radiation absorbed by the human brain with the increase in radio waves:

Curry's conclusion is that as exposure to increasingly "strong" radio waves increases, the risk of developing a brain tumor would also increase.

The chart continues to be shared today in articles and posts on the web. Inevitably, it was also circulated in conjunction with the arrival of 5G.

However, Curry's theory is refuted by several scientific studies., which essentially tell us two things. First, that to be harmful to humans, frequencies must be extremely high: this is the case, for example, with X-rays. The frequencies at which the connection technologies of our devices operate do not reach such peaks. Second: our skin has an insulating capacity, which provides safe protection for our internal organs.

According to David Robert Grimes (physicist and engaged in cancer research at Oxford) and Dorothy V. M. Bishop (psychologist), exists ““an overwhelming series of scientific evidence” thatsuggest that the microwaves and radio frequencies used in modern communications are safe”.

There is also the belief that somehow living near the transmitters of such radio signals is dangerous. This theory can be attributed to David O. Carpenter, a Harvard-trained physician, who since the 1980s has argued that power line towers are a cause of leukemia in children.

Other studies, both in the United States and the rest of the world, have never reached the conclusion that there is a correlation between pylons and leukemia.

The latest hoax: Coronavirus and 5G

In this Vox chart, which uses data from an analysis by Zignal Labs conducted on the online debate generated by the Coronavirus, let's see what the main conspiracies currently circulating on the web are, regarding the cause of the disease. Long before the idea that it is a laboratory experiment, conspiracy theorists believe that Bill Gates created it, while in second place we find 5G as a possible cause for SARS-CoV-2.

The theory would have started around January 20, when some users have linked the installation of 5G repeaters in Wuhan to the outbreak of the epidemic, which would have occurred shortly thereafter. According to Wired, the "news" would then have truly gone viral when a Belgian general practitioner, Kris Van Kerckhove, in an interview with a local newspaper, confirmed the link between 5G antennas and the epidemic in China.

The idea further spread when the theory began to circulate that 5G was first tested in Wuhan and shortly after in northern Italy, ahead of the rest of the world. This also explains the peak of cases that we unfortunately recorded in our most affected regions.

A theory so convincing that it led to the destruction of several repeaters and antennas worldwide, even those not related to 5G.

In reality, the experiments were not limited to these two areas. Staying only in Italy, 5G networks were also tested in L'Aquila, Bari, and Matera, which were significantly less affected compared to the northern regions. At the same time, how points out the BBC, the Coronavirus has also spread massively in the United Kingdom and Iran, where the new technology has not yet been implemented, not even on an experimental basis.

Does 5G lower the immune defenses?

Just as it happened with the rest of the radio waves, 5G technology has been accused of reducing immune defenses, increasing the risk of contracting the disease. But scientists categorically refute the assumption. An example is Dr. Simon Clarke, associate professor of cellular microbiology, who always explains to the BBC: «The idea that 5G lowers the immune defenses has no evidence». Clarke then confirms the assumption that 5G frequencies are not "strong" enough to cause this type of damage: «Radio waves can affect the body because they are a source of heating: at that point, your immune system cannot function. However, 5G radio waves do not even remotely have the type of power necessary to cause disturbances to the immune system. There are many studies on the subject.».

The broadcaster also disseminated this chart demonstrates how the radiation produced by smart and microwave devices is even less powerful than natural light:

To delve deeper into the topic of 5G, also read:

5G: how to put technology at the service of everyone according to Assoprovider

Fulvio Sarzana discusses his book on 5G, fiber, and competition