Link between a COVID-19 variant and a firm that works in 5G? Just the word ‘delta’

For as long as there has been COVID-19, conspiracy theories have made crude attempts to link the coronavirus to 5G, the  fifth-generation upgrade to wireless systems that deliver data to mobile phones and other devices: 

“Coronavirus Hoax: Fake Virus Pandemic Fabricated to Cover-Up Global Outbreak of 5G Syndrome.” Our rating: False.

There are nanoparticles in the COVID-19 vaccine that will help people “locate you” via 5G networks. Our rating: Pants on Fire.

People with the COVID-19 vaccine are being “tracked in real time via 5G cellular, and all that data can be hacked into to track you.” Our rating: Pants on Fire.

Now comes a viral image suggesting a suspicious connection between the COVID-19 delta variant and a product called Delta Power System.

The image does not make a statement about COVID-19, but alludes to it with its headline: “What a fascinating name for a 5G power system.” After the headline is a skeptical-face emoji. Below that are five photos, including one of a cell tower and two that show the Delta Power System logo.

The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

There’s no connection between the coronavirus and 5G wireless technology, or between the delta variant and a technology company called Delta — other than the word “delta,” which is also the name of an airline, a faucet brand and a hotel chain.

The World Health Organization in May began naming the major variants of the COVID-19 virus after letters of the Greek alphabet — alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and so forth — to make the names easier to remember and avoid associating them with particular locations.

The delta variant of the original virus has become the most dominant strain in the United States — but has spread to 130 nations, many of which don’t have 5G. 

The Delta whose name is shown in the Facebook post is a company based in Taiwan that describes itself as a “global provider of power and thermal management solutions,” including for 5G. 

Some experts have speculated that 5G’s high-frequency radio waves could have some adverse health effects, such as neurological disorders, but other reports say the fear is overblown. In any case, radio waves don’t transmit human viruses.

The only connection between the company and the variant is the word “delta.”

We rate the post False.