5G is causing Coronavirus and other diseases like cancer? 5G, or fifth generation, is the latest wireless mobile phone technology, which is currently available only in a few countries, and in India, the testing of 5G will begin soon. However, there are already rumors that the 5G trial in India is the reason behind the second wave of COVID-19. So let’s find out details and know the truth behind the 5G trial and its link to Corona in India.
Also, read | How to Protect Yourself from Mobile Phone Radiation
Truth About 5G Trials in India
Some reports say that the 5G trials have triggered the Covid-19 in India. People are receiving texts and audio messages on social media claiming that 5G can cause health issues and it is also behind the spread of COVID-19. So, how true is this? Let’s find out!
Which countries have 5G?
First of all, we all should know that 5G is not yet available in India, and neither its trials have begun in any city of India. A California-based network testing company Viavi Solutions published a report in February last year claiming that 5G was partially available in 378 cities across 34 countries and India is not one of them. The list of such countries includes UK, US, Saudi Arabia, Australia, China, and South Korea.
The DoT of the Government of India has announced that 5G trials have been approved in India. Telecom companies will soon be allocated 5G spectrum for the trials. This means that telecom operators of India such as Jio, Airtel, and Vi could start 5G trials across India anytime soon.
You should also know that Bharti Airtel has already tested 5G successfully on its commercial network in Hyderabad in January this year. The company also claims that its network is 5G ready and they require government approval to upgrade. So, as of now, there is no 5G mobile network available in India.
Rumors busted by Government
You may have heard somewhere online that this second wave of Covid-19 is due to 5G testing in India. A message going viral on social media claims that the radiation released by the 5G trial has led to the outbreak of the second wave of COVID-19 in India.
एक ऑडियो मैसेज में दावा किया जा रहा है कि राज्यों में 5g नेटवर्क की टेस्टिंग की जा रही है जिस कारण लोगों की मृत्यु हो रही है व इसे #Covid19 का नाम दिया जा रहा है। #PIBFactCheck: यह दावा #फ़र्ज़ी है। कृपया ऐसे फ़र्ज़ी संदेश साझा कर के भ्रम न फैलाएँ। pic.twitter.com/JZA9o5TuRv
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) May 6, 2021
Press Information Bureau, Government of India has busted this fake news and tells that this is not true and these rumors are absolutely false. PIB urges people not to share this misinformation. As per COAI, several countries in the world have already rolled out 5G networks, and are using them safely. Even the WHO has clarified that there is no link between 5G and COVID-19.
Also, read | 7 Coronavirus Myths Busted By Indian Govt; Know Reality Behind These
How 5G can affect humans?
First of all, you should know that mobile towers emit low-frequency waves which are also called non-ionizing Radio frequencies and these have longer wavelengths, so they do not have enough energy to damage the cells directly. These waves have very minute power and are incapable of causing any damage to living cells including humans.
When it comes to 5G, it offers approx. 20x more speed than the previous generation, which also means it will use high-frequency radio waves. However, the DoT has prescribed norms for exposure limit for the 5G radio frequency base station emissions, and those are still 10 times safer than the limits prescribed by the international commission on non-ionizing radiation protection (ICNIRP).
It’s ionizing radiation that you should worry about. It is dangerous because it can even break chemical bonds and penetrated into cells and thus it is harmful to health. This type of radiation is emitted in X-rays, gamma rays, etc.
Also, read | Check Radiation Level From Electronics at Home Using EMF Meter
What does WHO think?
As per WHO, there is no adverse health effect has been linked with exposure to these wireless technologies as of now. WHO has reached these conclusions after much research and studies performed across the radio spectrum.
However, there are only a few studies have been carried out at the 5G frequencies. Still, WHO claims that any virus cannot travel on radio waves. So, 5G is not the reason behind the COVID-19 spread.
“Given that the 5G technology is currently at an early stage of deployment, the extent of any change in exposure to radiofrequency fields is still under investigation“, says WHO.
It further stated that tissue heating is the main effect on the human body after the interaction of radio waves. So radiation exposure from current technologies can result in a minute temperature rise in the human body. If the overall exposure remains below international guidelines, no consequences on health are expected.
Distance from mobile tower still matters!
Apart from the above clarifications, still there are some things that you should know about mobile tower radiations. The first and the most important thing is, you should not be there near the mobile tower for a long time.
As per DoT guidelines, if a mobile tower has 1 antenna, it should be located at a minimum distance of 20 meters from homes. If it has 2 antennas, the minimum distance should be 35 meters, for 4 antennas it should be a minimum of 45 meters and for 6 antennas it should be a minimum of 55 meters.
Also, these towers emit waver parallel to the antennas, the guidelines also say that there should be no parallel building to the tower antenna. Moreover, the height of the antenna should be at least 5 meters above ground level or rooftop.
Coming to the conclusion, these claims linking 5G with the COVID-19 are absolutely false. Moreover, as we mentioned above that the 5G trials have not yet started anywhere in India as of now, so this claim is really baseless.
You can also watch our video on the same topic which is embedded below.
Whenever a new technology comes, it also brings some rumors around it. We suggest our readers not fall for such misinformation and stay updated with the authentic sources only. Stay tuned with us for more such articles!
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