As the deadly coronavirus sweeps through the nation, with more than, 4,000 deaths linked to Covid in a day, a rumour has gone viral, claiming that the radiation being released by 5G testing has led to the outbreak of the second wave of COVID-19 in India. Now, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) has conducted a fact check and busted the fake news. “In an audio message, it is being claimed that 5g network is being tested in the states, due to which people are dying. This claim is fake. Please do not spread confusion by sharing such fake messages”, PIB said in a tweet.Earlier the Telecom industry body, Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) on Friday, expressed concern over rumours related to 5G technology with the spread of COVID-19.In a joint statement, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) and the Tower and Infrastructure Providers Association (TAIPA) expressed their concern regarding false rumours connecting 5G technology with the spread of COVID-19. The telecom regulator informed that it has come across multiple messages on social media platforms as well as reports in a few regional media mentioning '5G spectrum trials' as the probable cause of rising cases of COVID-19. Even the World Health Organisation (WHO) has clarified that there is no correlation between 5G technology and COVID-19, COAI Director General SP Kochhar said.
Earlier, a similar post had gone viral on social media. The Hindi text in the viral message claimed that the radiation from the tower makes the air poisonous causing breathing problems among people. It further stated that “just like the previous generation of mobile networks (4G) killed birds, the 5G network will cause the death of animals and humans”. The fake post had asked people to raise their voice against setting up such towers.