Here’s where all those 5G coronavirus conspiracy theories came from

5G myths were rife long before coronavirus

The notion that the telecommunications network 5G is the true cause of the coronavirus pandemic seems to be everywhere. In recent weeks there have been suspected arson attacks on mobile phone masts in Birmingham, Liverpool and Merseyside. 

Celebrities have pushed the idea that 5G is harmful and linked to Covid-19. The government has been forced to address the fears, with Michael Gove branding the theories “dangerous nonsense”.

To be clear, these theories are wrong. Mobile phones transmit radio waves which are on the non-ionising end of the electromagnetic spectrum, meaning it can’t damage our DNA in the way that X-rays and gamma rays can.

While the idea that 5G is harmful may seem to have exploded from nowhere during the coronavirus pandemic, in fact it has been steadily building online for years - and it can be traced back to earlier generations of mobile technology at the turn of the millennium.

One thing that it’s important to realise is that there isn’t one single “5G conspiracy theory”. Instead, there are multiple theories, some which overlap and some which contradict one another. If we want to understand the panic over 5G during a pandemic, we need to understand how we got here.

FACT CHECK

If you need the police but can’t talk, dial 999 from a mobile, then 55 when prompted and don’t hang up

We’ve seen a number of journalists, charities and politicians giving recommendations to victims of domestic violence who are in lockdown with their abuser. They have given advice on how to make a silent call to the police, but the advice isn’t quite right.

They claimed that once connected to 999, you should dial 55 and then hang up. However, the ‘Silent Solution’ system only works on mobiles, not landlines, and you should not hang up after entering 55 if you need the police. People have also claimed this allows the police to track your location, which is also wrong.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct recommends that you should try to communicate through coughs or by tapping the headset. The National Police Chiefs Council assert that call handlers are “highly trained to seek details from callers who may not be in a position to speak.” You can hear an example of the Silent Solution service here.

FACT CHECK

Claim that Conservatives voted against a nurse pay rise needs some context

We’ve seen highly-shared posts on Facebook claiming that Conservative MPs voted against giving a pay rise to nurses and claiming that they cheered when winning that vote. This needs context.

The amendment in question, among other things, called on the government to lift the public sector pay cap, which limited pay rises for public sector staff to 1% per year.

The government did vote against this amendment, but they announced the end of the pay cap later that year anyway. Nurses received a pay rise above 1% in the following financial year.

Sharing can help save lives

Find these updates useful? We'd be incredibly grateful if you could share our fact checks and help more people access good information.

FACT CHECK

Also this week...

• How does Covid-19 affect pregnant women and unborn babies?
• Posts suggesting Boris Johnson didn’t really have coronavirus are based on a satirical blog
• And the NHS is not asking people with type O negative blood to go to donate at Manchester Royal Infirmary

We need your help to protect us all from bad information about coronavirus

There has been a surge in dangerous medical advice since the outbreak of the new coronavirus.

No one was prepared for a crisis at this scale, and with so many of us confused by contradictory information your support is more needed than ever.

Your donation today could make the difference between someone taking the right precautions to protect their health, or not.

If you agree that good information saves lives, can you help protect us all from false and harmful information today?