At least three 5G towers were set alight within the last week. Police and fire services were called to extinguish the flames.

Police have launched investigations into how the 5G towers caught fire. The National Health Service director said he was’outraged and disgusted’.

Rumors and conspiracy theories over a link between the roll out of 5G and the spread of coronavirus have been spread through social media networks. A variety of groups exist on Facebook and Nextdoor, where thousands of members repeat false and misleading claims that 5G is supposedly harmful.

One theory claims that the novel coronavirus originated in Wuhan because the Chinese city had recently been rolling out 5G. It’s now supposedly spread to other cities that are also using 5G.

Full fact, an independent fact checking charity in the UK, has explored the claims. 5G uses a higher frequency of radio waves than 4G or 3G.

Key workers getting harassed on the street. This is the result of those bonkers Facebook conspiracy theories about 5G. Key workers get harassed in the street.

Some people are harassing workers laying fiber optic cables for 5G installations. They claim that when 5G is turned on it’s going to’kill everyone’.

Mobile networks are classified as critical national infrastructure in the UK. But one Facebook group was specifically set up to encourage people to burn 5G towers. After an increase in attention, the group has since been removed.

A guest, identified as a’registered nurse’, appeared in a 20-minute segment in February, claiming that 5G is sucking the oxygen out of people’s lungs. The segment spread the falsehood that 5G and coronavirus are linked.

5G causes coronavirus because it’s sucking the oxygen out of your lungs, according to a video being spread on Facebook. I want to but the fact people believe this nonsense is genuinely scary pic.twitter.com/ky3g5mjtu9.

A New York Times report from last year warned that Russian disinformation campaigns are actively exploiting 5G health fears. Rt America aired a report more than a year ago in which an RT reporter claimed 5G’might kill you’.

The UK and many countries across the world are battling the coronavirus pandemic. The warnings are clearly convincing enough to lead some to damage vital infrastructure.