In this very uncertain time, a lot of fake news circulate on social media. Most of them disappear quickly. One that I see regularly, primarily from Anglo-Saxon countries, speaks of a conspiracy theory that claims that 5G technology could help spread the COVID-19 virus. It claims that the virus could be spread via antennas or that it could lower people’s immune systems thus allowing us catching the virus more easily. As technology is in my field of expertise, I thought it would be a good idea to explain why 5G technology has nothing to do with COVID-19 and how this virus is spread.
I have been involved with new and phone technology since 1996. I participated in the launch of 3G whilst working for Sony Electronics and I witnessed the launch of 4G as a consumer. The fear around transmission technologies has always existed and I take it into consideration without judgement. When we don’t understand how a technology works, we may have fears and search for answers. Similar fears were common back when micro-waves were launched. This is happening with the COVID-19 virus. We are faced with invisible elements with unknown consequences.
Let’s have a look at what the World Health Organization states regarding the spread of the virus. First what is the World Health Organization (WHO)? According to Wikipedia, the World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution, which establishes the agency’s governing structure and principles, states its main objective as ensuring “the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. The WHO websites which covers the COVID-19 virus states: “People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales. These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. People can also catch COVID-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets. Therefore, it is important to stay more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick.”
Once we understand how the virus is spread, we know that the first conspiracy theory that 5G technology could spread the virus is false as communication technology only transmits radio signals.
Let’s have a look at the second theory that 5G could lower the human immune system and thus make people more subject to contamination. As I mentioned before every time a new technology is launched, people are worried, and we see a large variety of theories broadcast by the media. As of today, the medical community hasn’t stated that transmission technology is bad for humans. Some people suffer from Electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS), a claimed sensitivity to electromagnetic fields, to which negative symptoms are attributed. Claims are characterized by a “variety of non-specific symptoms, which afflicted individuals attribute to exposure to electromagnetic fields”.
Those who describe themselves as suffering with EHS report adverse reactions to electromagnetic fields at intensities well below the maximum levels permitted by international radiation safety standards. Most provocation trials to date have found that such claimants are unable to distinguish between exposure and non-exposure to electromagnetic fields. A systematic review of medical research in 2011 found no convincing scientific evidence for symptoms being caused by electromagnetic fields. Since then, several double-blind experiments have shown that people who report electromagnetic hypersensitivity are unable to detect the presence of electromagnetic fields and are as likely to report ill health following a sham exposure as they are following exposure to genuine electromagnetic fields, suggesting the cause in these cases to be the nocebo effect.
However, I have known people suffering from this and I believe they are more sensitive than others and have real symptoms. These people are a very large minority and the current claims that COVID-19 lowering the immune system are not part of EHS symptoms.
The main difference between 3G, 4G and 5G (as oddly people do not blame 4G or 3G for spreading the virus) is that 3G and 4G use lower radio frequencies (around 6Ghz for 4G). 5G frequencies are higher (in the 30 to 100 and more Ghz range). Mobile phones and cell towers transmit radio signals as stated above at frequencies well below those of x-rays and ultraviolet lights which are categorized as ionizing radiation (they can damage human cells and DNA like with Tchernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986). Lower bands like AM radio waves and micro-wave ovens are non-ionizing waves. They do not damage DNA. For 5G technology, the use of higher frequency is purely to allow higher speed to ensure you can watch high quality (4K, 8K or higher) video streaming for example or to ensure Internet of Things (IoT) or connected objects could benefit from more bandwidth. It will not only help with speed but also lower latency (the waiting time for data to be processed) which is essential for real time activity such as autonomous cars. Autonomous cars need real time reactions to a situation and wasting time is not an option when you have someone crossing the road in front of the car. What people worry about is the fact that higher frequencies do not allow data to travel very far so you need more stations to relay effectively. 5G technology has had more tests done than any other technology we have seen before. Large companies such as Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei, Samsung, Cisco, ZTE, Qualcomm and others have invested huge amounts of money to ensure the technology is safe and will not be rejected by users. Many independent bodies have done tests on the technology and they all unanimously claim that 5G has less radiation than microwave ovens for example. 5G uses 90% less energy in their antennas than 4G antennas. There are very strict regulations around antennas. They are closed if regulations are not respected. I encourage you to go check the WHO web site https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/5g-mobile-networks-and-health about 5G and health. Also, large companies like Ericsson or Huawei have published about 5G and health. Have a look at these interesting publications.
Furthermore, if you need more proof, countries with high infection rates of COVID-19 like France, Spain and Italy do not yet have 5G technology!
As a conclusion, I hope I have helped you understand that 5G technology does not spread the COVID-19 virus nor does it lower your immune system. Personally, I have done extensive research on this topic as my dear wife has a chronic disease and I would not want her or anyone to be harmed. I work extensively in e-health and I have been involved in technology for over 30 years. I believe the many reports from companies and independent bodies claiming that 5G technology is safe.