Is there a link between SARS-CoV-2 and 5G technology?
Summary:
- SARS-CoV-2 virus cannot be transmitted via 5G wireless communication infrastructure.
- 5G radio waves do not cause COVID-19.
- The immune system is not suppressed by 5G radio waves.
- Parts of the scientific community find the current state of research done on the influence of 5G on human health insufficient and call for more studies.
Conspiracy theories linked to the pandemic of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are omnipresent and seem to spread at an even higher rate than the virus itself. One branch of such theories tries to establish a link between the pandemic and the next generation of mobile communication infrastructure – 5G. This has led to several attacks on 5G radio masts in the UK, including one which was providing coverage for a nearby hospital.
Three claims can be distilled from these conspiracy theories:
- SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted directly by the 5G radio waves.
- 5G radio waves cause immunosuppression and make people more vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2.
- SARS-CoV-2 is not real and the symptoms that people are experiencing are caused by 5G radio waves.
The first claim is strongly rejected by scientists, since it lacks any basis in the natural sciences. 5G masts emit radio waves to communicate with mobile phones. These waves are a sort of very low energy light and not microscopic objects like viruses. The two are distinctly different in many regards; for example, radio waves can travel through walls, whereas viruses are stopped by even a facemask.
The impact of 5G radio waves on the immune system – as proposed in the second claim – has been studied by several researchers and with different foci. Generally, no immunosuppressive effect was found [1]. Furthermore, 5G radio waves were shown to cause the activation of some immune cells, such as T-cells, and natural killer cells [2, 3, 4]. It remains to be studied how this affects the overall immune system.
The third claim – that COVID-19 (the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus) symptoms are induced by 5G radio waves – seems to be the most popular of the three. However, this claim also lacks scientific evidence and is rejected by governments as well as scientists. This is mainly because radio waves carry very little energy and cannot cause damage to organisms in the same way as gamma radiation or UV light. However, it needs to be noted that the research on the effect of 5G radio waves on human health is regarded as not fully conclusive by some researchers [5] and political organs like the European Parliament [6]. Nonetheless, not one study has found that 5G radio waves cause symptoms similar to the ones of COVID-19 (dry cough, fever and tiredness).
To summarise, there is no scientifically supported link between the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and 5G technology. Since these conspiracy theories have already caused real-world damage and have argued against effective measures such as social distancing, it is important that their spread is contained – just like the spread of the virus.
References:
- Logani, K.L., et al., Effect of Millimeter waves on Cyclophosphamide Induced Suppression of the Immune System, Bioelectromagnetics, 2002.
- Shanin, S.N., et al., Natural killer cell cytotoxic activity and c-Fos protein synthesis in rat hypothalamic cells after painful electric stimulation of the hind limbs and EHF irradiation of the skin. Medical Science Monitor, 2005.
- Makar, V.R., et al., Effect of Millimeter Waves on Natural Killer Cell Activation, Bioelectromagnetics, 2005.
- Makar, V.R., et al., Effect of Millimeter Waves on Cyclophosphamide Induced Suppression of T-Cell Functions, Bioelectromagnetics, 2003
- Simko, M., et al., 5G Wireless Communication and Health Effects—A Pragmatic Review Based on Available Studies Regarding 6 to 100 GHz, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2019.
- Karaboytcheva, M., Effects of 5G wireless communication on human health, European Parliamentary Research Service, 2020.