A conspiracy theory claiming that 5G has caused the coronavirus outbreak is doing the rounds on WhatsApp.
The concept is thought to have gained popularity last month when a YouTube video supporting the claims was heavily criticised for spreading bogus information during a very real crisis.
The video was filmed at a US health conference.
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It shows a presentation by Dr. Thomas Cowan and was published by the account Parents for Healthcare Rights. During his presentation Cowan claims that Africa was not as affected by the coronavirus outbreak because it is “not a 5G region”.
However, since the video was published the World Health Organization has confirmed thousands of Covid-19 cases in Africa.
The claims have largely been slammed and debunked online but that hasn’t stopped some people taking to Twitter trying to prove Cowan’s point.
Now, Twitter is full of people highlighting that the 5G theory is spreading via a lengthy WhatsApp voice note.
There are also those that are highlighting that 5G should not be connected to the respiratory virus.
Other people have stressed that the human race had faced deadly virus outbreaks way before the invention of mobile phones.
This includes the 1918 Spanish flu that ended up infecting around 500 million people.
Photo Credit: Getty
