Globally, the conspiracy theory that 5G technology can spread COVID-19 could have a significant effect on tackling the spread of the pandemic. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the impact of the myth about the 5G technology on the COVID-19 pandemic in sub-Saharan African (SSA). A cross sectional survey of 2032 respondents was conducted from April 18 to  May 16, 2020, a few weeks following the lockdown in some Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries.  Respondents were recruited via the authors’ (Facebook and WhatsApp) social networks using an anonymous online questionnaire.

There have been concerns with the level of compliance with COVID-19 preventive strategies in SSA. Using the health belief model (HBM), it has been postulated that behaviour and perception influence the development of preventive health behaviour. This study was designed to explore the potential impact of the myth about 5G technology on compliance with the strategies proposed for the mitigation of the spread of the novel coronavirus inSSA. The outcome of the study will be important in addressing non-compliance with preventive measures suggested for the mitigation of the current pandemic and any other outbreak when myths held by the population are the reason for non-compliance.

During the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent global spread of the pandemic, there arose a myth that the outbreak was associated with the fifth generation mobile telecommunication technology, known as 5G. Holding such myths could have implications for compliance with non-pharmaceutical preventive strategies prescribed for the control of the novel coronavirus. These myths include that 5G was the cause of the novel coronavirus; that the electromagnetic radiation from the 5G network was responsible for the mutation of the coronavirus; and that this network was a strategy of the industrialized nations to control the population of the less industrialized nations among others. This is because radiofrequency radiation (RF) is increasingly being identified as a new form of environmental pollution.

The fifth generation mobile telecommunication is the new, high-speed wireless communications technology, promising faster bandwidth speeds of 1 – 10 GBps, wider coverage, reduced congestion and improved latency. The technology is expected to be transformative, fueling innovation across every industry and every aspect of our lives.   The combination of its high-speed and potential to transform the human way of life by fully supporting the implementation of Internet-of-things (IoT) solutions generated various myths about 5G.

The survey revealed that one in every fourteen (adults in SSA held the 5G myth. Notwithstanding that this proportion is small in SSA, the finding that holding such myths was significantly associated with low compliance with preventive strategies for the control of COVID-19 is critical to the spread of the disease in the region. It is imperative that the relevant agencies put in place appropriate health education strategies to address these myths.

Article by Professor Khathutshelo Percy Mashige

Discipline of Optometry

School of Health Sciences