Masks Do Not Hide 5G Antennas
The Claim
The wire used in surgical masks is actually a 5G antenna.
News posted on
Emerging story
Since mid-July 2020, social media users have claimed that the wire used to hold up surgical masks are actually 5G antennas and can cause serious health issues.
Misbar’s Analysis
5G is the fifth generation technology for cellular network connectivity. It is the most expansive of the networks thus far, offering greater bandwidth, more data per second, and faster download speeds. This is partially achieved through the use of higher-frequency radio waves than past networks, such as 4G and 3G, have employed. Security concerns and conspiracy theories have followed the 5G technology. These include concerns about surveillance, Chinese involvement in the technology, and 5G's effect on health. Some even believe that 5G caused the coronavirus pandemic.
Misbar watched the viral video that shows a woman claiming to discover a 5G antenna “made to kill everybody" in a face mask.
The video actually appears to depict a wire meant to shape the masks. A spokesperson for 3M, who makes surgical masks, said that the metal strip located in surgical masks is so that the masks themselves can “be shaped to form against the wearer’s nose to help provide a better fit.”
