A few deluded Scousers burn down 5G masts because COVID-19 is talking through the airwaves

Liverpudlians have seemingly set off a trend around the UK by setting 5G masts on fire because the new generation of mobile connectivity is the apparent cause of the coronavirus outbreak.

Let’s forget that numerous authorities around the world have denied the dangers of 5G, or that the scientists behind popular conspiracy theories have been proven wrong, or that COVID-19 has spread to places where 5G does not yet exist, new mobile technology is behind the pandemic which is rapidly spreading throughout the world. And the solution; a good, old bit of arson.

Starting in Liverpool, before spreading to Birmingham and Belfast, deluded individuals are setting fire to telecommunications infrastructure thanks to the fairy-tale belief it will lead to the end of the viral infection.

While it seems these idiots will not listen to the rational thoughts of those who are more qualified to make such judgments, the situation is not helped by a number of celebrities promoting the ludicrous tales.

US actor Woody Harrelson, former Dancing on Ice judge Jason Gardiner and Britain’s Got Talent’s Amanda Holden are three of whom have been ‘fanning the flames’ as members of the general public seems to believe there is more credibility in being on TV than having a relevant PHD.

“On the point about the 5G masts,” Minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Gove said during the daily coronavirus briefing. “The story somehow got about that they play a role in the spread of the disease, that is just nonsense. Dangerous nonsense as well.”

National Medical Director of NHS England Stephen Powis had even stronger words to say about the craze.

“The 5G story is complete and utter rubbish, it’s nonsense, it’s the worst kind of fake news,” Powis said. “The reality is that the mobile phone networks are absolutely critical to all of us, particularly in a time when we are asking people to stay at home and to not see relatives and friends.

“But in particular, those are also the phone networks that are used by our emergency services and our health workers. I am absolutely outraged, absolutely disgusted that people would be taking action against the very infrastructure that we need to respond to this health emergency. It is absolute and utter rubbish and I can’t condemn it in stronger terms than that.”

The coronavirus theories being promoted by idiotic celebrities and believed by simpleton individuals can be traced back to two statements, both of which have been disproven by Full Fact, an independent fact checking charity.

Firstly, a research paper from 2011 written by several academics which hypothesises bacteria may produce electromagnetic signals to communicate with other bacteria when making decisions about infecting a host. Thanks to these assumptions, which are highly disputed, some have decided the COVID-19 virus in one host is able to use the 5G airwaves to communicate with virus in another host to decide on who to infect next. It really is that preposterous.

This is of course a ridiculous statement to make, and as well as being undermined by scientists, the spread of the virus to regions (such as Milton Keynes) and countries (Iran) which do not have 5G networks deployed further disproves the conspiracy theory.

Secondly, the foolhardy arsonists seem to believe 5G has the ability to supress the immune system which is aiding the spread of the disease. Again, there is no scientific evidence to support these claims and the statements have been rubbished by the scientific community.

Aside from celebrities adding credibility to fake news by spreading misinformation, the gullible individuals might also be buoyed by 5G critics such as Lecturer Tanja Katarina Rebel. The job title might sound very impressive and credible, but Rebel is a teacher of Philosophy and has no qualifications in virology, physics or engineering. She is as qualified to make statements on the health implications of 5G as the next-door neighbour’s goldfish.

Unfortunately, the people who are talking sense are not as popular as the celebrities touting this rubbish or as interesting as a conspiracy theory. The correct statements are much less likely to be shared across social media than the fake news.

This is of course not the first time the telecommunications industry has had to deal with false health claims relying on pseudoscience or fairy tales. In years gone, many believed mobile airwaves would cause cancer. Radiofrequency radiation could cause cancer, though the telecoms companies make use of non-ionising spectrum which is not able to penetrate into cells to mutate DNA.

Even the use of 5G spectrum, which is a higher frequency than 4G, does not enter into this category. It has been suggested the level at which airwaves become dangerous to humans is 30 PHz, an almost inconceivable distance from 24 GHz – 90 GHz range which is being considered for use in the 5G era.

The health claims regarding the use of spectrum in mobile technology usually disappear in time, as is the trend with misinformation. Without facts underpinning the statements, people tend to ignore than after a while, though hopefully there isn’t too much damage done in the time it takes to get to this point.