In recent days, information has begun to appear on social media that a test alarm was to be carried out on 4th and 11th October, 2023. The U.S. government allegedly wants to conduct it globally. According to conspiracy theorists, these are actually tests of 5G devices. Their goal is to activate the Marburg virus in the bodies of vaccinated people. This is to be an introduction to the depopulation of humanity.
Numerous narratives appeared on social media related to the alleged harmfulness of the alarm. Hundreds of videos and posts warning about the dangers associated with this event began circulating on the American Internet. There have been recordings with hundreds of thousands of views. We could also observe numerous posts on Facebook or X (formerly Twitter).
The alarm on 4 October
Indeed, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced a test of two emergency systems across the United States scheduled on 4 October. The Emergency Alert System (EAS) will be used to send an alert to radio and television broadcasters, whereas the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) will deliver emergency messages to mobile phones. Receiving a message containing no more than 360 characters will be signalled twice with a special sound signal and vibration. In principle, it resembles the Polish alert of the Government Centre for Security (RCB).
However, the information that the second alarm was to take place on 11 October is false. According to FEMA’s announcement, this is a backup date. In the event of unforeseen circumstances or dangerous weather conditions, the agency will postpone the alert test until 11 October. The national EAS test will be conducted for the seventh time, and the WEA for the third time.
It is also untrue that the tests will last as long as two hours. The transmission time will be approximately 30 minutes. The WEA alerts are also nothing new to American society, contrary to narratives spread on social media. In places where extreme weather phenomena, such as hurricanes or tornadoes, occur frequently, alerts are sent on the occasion of each such event. Local tests of these systems also take place regularly. Moreover, there is a publicly accessible map showing where these types of alerts are currently broadcast and for what purpose.
Harmfulness
Experts agree that the alert is not harmful in any way. According to Eric Swanson, a professor of physics at the University of Pittsburgh, receiving an emergency message is technically no different from receiving a text message. He also emphasizes that phones are not able to produce any harmful electromagnetic waves. Boston University engineering professor David Starobinski shares this opinion.
The narrative about the alleged activation of the Marburg virus via the 5G network has been circulating on social media for many months. The mentioned pathogen causes Marburg disease, which belongs to the group of haemorrhagic fevers. It is characterised by high mortality. However, there is no evidence that this virus is contained in COVID-19 vaccines. Their ingredients are widely known and none of them contain live pathogens. It is also not possible to activate the Marburg virus (or any other virus) using a signal from the 5G network.
Finally, it is worth adding that the WEA uses available telecommunications infrastructure. This means that in places where a 5G signal is not available, it uses older technologies. Therefore, the narrative about activating the virus throughout the United States via the 5G network makes no sense due to the incomplete coverage of such a network. It should also be emphasised that the U.S. authorities will broadcast the signal only within their country, and not globally.
Summary
The alerts sent by FEMA do not pose any threat to the population of the United States or any other country. The transmitted signal cannot use the 5G network to activate the Marburg virus in the bodies of vaccinated people. Spreading fear around the event in question is an attempt to gain attention by people disseminating conspiracy theories. The narratives they reproduce do not stand up to facts and should not be given any credence.
Sources
FEMA:
- https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20230803/fema-and-fcc-plan-nationwide-emergency-alert-test-oct-4-2023?fbclid=IwAR1BYJ-6FTyw9tBcTsEGm6W60j-if9XW3uChuX3kmZy7YKx3VCqXtCj0QUo
- https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/practitioners/integrated-public-alert-warning-system/public/wireless-emergency-alerts
- https://warn.pbs.org/
AFP Fact Check: https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.33VZ77C?fbclid=IwAR19g2Zc2X4cMnVzdqyptFiFhpRq0AVN1ExGc3MNbKt94b1PyyFclPJj2Ok
Full Fact: https://fullfact.org/health/marburg-covid-vaccines/
Rappler: https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/marburg-virus-cannot-be-activated-5g/
