FALSE: DO NOT SHARE
Claim:
The US Government is using COVID-19 as cover to close public buildings and install dangerous 5G.
Answer:
False. 5G is not dangerous, nor is it being clandestinely installed.
FURTHER INFORMATION
A video on YouTube claims that the COVID-19 lockdown in the US was imposed because the Government wanted to secretly install dangerous 5G infrastructure near public buildings, like schools, banks or restaurants.
This is false. As we have previously written, there are no proven links between the roll out of 5G technology and the outbreak of COVID-19. There is no scientific evidence that electrical signals such as 5G have any harmful effects on human immune systems. 5G is a radio wave-based communication technology, similar to the 4G mobile network that is currently used all over the world. Radio waves do not damage human DNA structures.
5G is a set of communications technologies designed to support new internet-dependent functions like augmented reality, virtual reality, and ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) devices. 5G refers to a new (‘5th Generation’) mobile download speed standard. 5G technology, like previous generations of mobile technology, uses non-ionising waves, meaning the signal does not interfere with or damage the DNA of cells. Public Health England has concluded that non-ionizing radio frequencies do not cause adverse health effects. The studies behind this claim allow for frequencies up to 300GHz, well beyond the range of 5G infrastructure (maxing out in the 10s of GHz). While there is debate over the effects of the proliferation of cellular technology on the instance of certain cancers, there has never been any evidence in serious clinical studies of cellular technology causing or exacerbating viral respiratory illnesses.
5G networks are being installed in countries around the world, with China’s Huawei, the US’s T-Mobile and Sprint, and Sweden’s Ericsson being some of the leaders in the field. These installation projects are not clandestine, nor are they aimed specifically at installing 5G networks in public buildings such as schools. 5G, like 4G and 3G before it, is installed for maximum coverage of densely populated areas. T-Mobile and Sprint have achieved and publicized 5G penetration rates averaging around between 20-30% in major US cities. Claims about 5G’s health effects usually hinge on the evidence of China: China has over 1.9 million 5G transmitter sites, and was the likely origin point for the novel coronavirus. However, the country with the greatest relative saturation of 5G, South Korea, has seen relatively few cases per capita when compared with outbreaks in other countries which lag behind it in 5G, notably in Europe, Eurasia, and South America.
SOURCES
Ofcom: Clearing up the myths around 5G and the coronavirus
American Cancer Society: Cellular Phone Towers
European Parliament: 5G Deployment: State of Play in Europe, USA and Asia
Phone Arena: T-Mobile and Sprint’s combined 5G network could become an unstoppable force
Origins of Claim
FULL TEXT OF CLAIM
“So why will the US push for TOTAL SHUTDOWN on 22 March? They want to install/test/finalize their 5G kill shot. They need empty buildings, empty streets with free access to schools, restaurants, banks, etc, without interference from the public.”
