Covid-19, vaccination and 5G are both culprits when it comes to the subject of rumours, false information and scare-mongering. I will not be talking about Covid as this is a highly controversial subject. It reminds me of a person who once said that he knows absolutely nothing about politics, but that does not prevent him from having a strong opinion.
Now back to 5G. Claims have been made about a link between 5G and Covid-19. This comes not only from countries where the education systems are known to be ‘not so up- to-date’, but from countries such as the UK and the Netherlands as well.
The ICNIRP Guidelines on Limiting Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields are for the protection of humans exposed to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields in the range 100 kHz to 300 GHz. The guidelines cover many applications such as 5G technologies, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, mobile phones and base stations. These supersede the 100 kHz to 300 GHz part of the ICNIRP (1998) RF guidelines, as well as the 100 kHz to 10 MHz part of the ICNIRP (2010) low-frequency guidelines.
It is important to note that these guidelines are based on the best science currently available and will be reviewed from time to time as new information becomes available. It is also worth noting that the medical field has largely been excluded as qualified medical practitioners have to weigh up the pros and cons of using electromagnetic-based treatments, as these can indirectly cause harm by interfering with implantable medical devices (see ISO 2012).
Therefore, people can rest assured that there are specialists studying the impact of 5G and beyond on humans and the environment. The consensus is that while companies adhere to these guidelines, these electromagnetic fields are safe.
But are they really 100% safe? There is no conclusive evidence either way, but that does not mean that 5G causes Covid-19.
Each one of us needs to ensure that the messages we forward come from a reliable source and not from ‘a boetie’ who has personally read it in a WhatsApp message sent by a masked rumour-monger.
ECSA registration
Time is running out for those who are doing engineering-type work (technicians, technologists and engineers) and whose surnames begin with the letters A-K – you only have next year to register. If you have not started your paperwork yet, chances are you might not finish in time for this first batch. You will then have to wait until all others have registered and work under the supervision of a registered person while you wait your turn.
Yours in automation,
Johan Maartens.
| Tel: | +27 11 312 2445 |
| Email: | ina@saimc.co.za |
| www: | www.saimc.co.za |
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