UK Livid, Debunks Fake News After 5G Masts Set On Fire For 'Coronavirus Link'

With numerous countries the world over currently under lockdown, the COVID-19 pandemic has already spawned an abundance of outlandish fables online. One such conspiracy theory has emerged of late linking 5G networks and the coronavirus global outbreak.

Conspiracy theorists claim that 5G can negatively affect the immune system, and Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, was the first city in China to get 5G. Thus, there has been a series of attacks on mobile towers at Birmingham, Liverpool and Melling in the United Kingdom, and a video, allegedly of one of the blazes, was also shared on social media.

UK Cabinet Minister Michael Gove condemned the stories as “dangerous nonsense” while noting that damaged telephone lines are crucial for emergency services responding to the pandemic.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said on Twitter "there is absolutely no credible evidence" of a link, while trade body Mobile UK said such rumours and conspiracy theories were "concerning".

We are aware of inaccurate information being shared online about 5G. There is absolutely no credible evidence of a link between 5G and coronavirus

For COVID-19 advice:

NHS https://t.co/EI0XLYsqWE
GOVUK https://t.co/aWe30Ayl8X
Full Fact research https://t.co/QWYcc4bOEg

— DCMS (@DCMS) April 3, 2020

Yet, such wild theories have reached a massive audience, thanks to the celebrities sharing it on social media.

Woody Harrelson, former TV star “Cheers” shared a report “on the negative effects of 5G” and its supposed role in the coronavirus pandemic to more than 2 million followers on Instagram.

As of April 5, the number of coronavirus cases in the UK is 41,903 with at least 4,313 fatalities.