Does Exposure to 5G Networks Cause Coronavirus? No

The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has caused a lot of changes in the United States. Every day, there’s new information about the coronavirus, studies and developments as well as updated case statistics and measures taken. Unfortunately, with new updates there often comes a lot of misinformation and myths.

One of the claims that has been circulating online is that the coronavirus pandemic is actually caused by radiation from 5G technology. This theory was given additional coverage due to singer Keri Hilson tweeting about it. This claim about the coronavirus and 5G technology has been debunked by FullFact.

Here’s what you need to know about the theory:

Some Claim That the COVID-19 Coronavirus Is a Story to Cover Up Damage Created by 5G Exposure & This Has Been Debunked

A post on Facebook that has been shared thousands of times claims that the coronavirus pandemic is not actually caused by a virus but is actually the result of exposure to 5G networks. This claim has been proven incorrect, and the Facebook post now comes with a warning that it contains false information “checked by independent fact-checkers.”

Singer Keri Hilson also shared a number of tweets about the conspiracy theory, including videos and screenshots, saying that the 5G cellular service is actually to blame. Her tweets have since been deleted, at the request of her management team.

She wrote: “Management has asked me to delete vid/articles. I appreciate good discourse on unconventional thinking. Let’s all just be safe out there, cuz whatever the cause the virus a real thing. May God be with us…prayers to alllllll.”

Her deleted tweet, as reported by HuffPost, read: “People have been trying to warn us about 5G for YEARS. Petitions, organizations, studies … what we’re going thru is the [effects] of radiation. 5G launched in CHINA. Nov 1, 2019. People dropped dead. See attached & go to my IG stories for more. TURN OFF 5G by disabling LTE!!!”

On Instagram, HuffPost reported that she shared a lengthy video of holistic physician Dr. Thomas Cowan, who linked 5G to the virus during a lecture. In her caption, she pointed out that “Africa is not a 5G region” which is why they weren’t feeling the effects of the coronavirus as severely.

However, there have been cases confirmed in a number of African countries and experts told CNN that these countries could be the hardest hit.

There Is No Evidence to Support This Claim & No Evidence That 5G Is Harmful to People’s Health

As FullFact points out, there is no evidence that 5G exposure is harmful to people’s health. 5G is the wireless network technology following from 4G, 3G and 2G before that. As the site explains, “5G mobile data is transmitted over radio waves. These radio waves are non-ionising, meaning they don’t damage the DNA inside cells.”

The executive director of the American Public Health Association, Dr. Georges C. Benjamin, debunked the conspiracy theory to HuffPost, saying: “COVID-19 is caused by a virus that came through a natural animal source and has no relation to 5G or any radiation linked to technology.”

This claim has also been debunked by Public Health England, who has said that there is no “convincing evidence” that the exposure can cause adverse health effects.

Dr. Jonathan M. Samet, a professor at the Colorado School of Public Health, also said that “This story about 5G has no credence scientifically and is certainly a potential distraction, as is other such misinformation, from controlling the COVID-19 epidemic.”

The source of COVID-19 coronavirus hasn’t been confirmed, but it’s believed to have originated at a “wet market” in Wuhan, China. It’s a market where live farmed or exotic animals are sold and killed on site.

The CDC said that “many of the patients at the epicenter of the outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China had some link to a large seafood and live animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread.” Three other viruses, SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV all have their origins in bats, which is a possible cause for the COVID-19 coronavirus as well.

READ NEXT: ‘Nobody Wants Dasani Water’: Coronavirus Meme Spreads