Is it possible to get infected with coronavirus at public events: a study

An experimental concert was held in Leipzig three months ago to learn more about the spread of coronavirus at public events and reduce the risk of infection. The results are now available, writes DW.

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Test concert in three parts - three scenarios of a scientific experiment. By creating different conditions for the public, scientists from the University of Halle-Wittenberg wanted to find out the risks of contracting coronavirus infection at a mass event in an enclosed space. German pop singer Tim Bendzko agreed to go on stage for scientific reasons. About 1200 volunteers gathered for the concert, which took place in August.

All spectators passed the COVID-19 test in advance and wore FFP2 class protective masks during the concert. The results of the study were published quite recently, when a soft lockdown was announced in Germany due to an increase in the number of infections and cultural events were canceled throughout the country. “You couldn’t imagine better dramaturgy,” joked Professor Michael Gekle, dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Halle, at a press conference. According to him, the study caused great resonance in different countries.

A concert with minimal risk

As part of the RESTART-19 project, each viewer was fitted with a special sensor, with which it was possible to track his movements and the paths of aerosols - small particles that enter the air when breathing and can contain a virus, as well as the distance between viewers with an accuracy of several centimeters. The spectators who participated in the first part of the experiment were seated close to each other, as before the pandemic. There were no restrictions other than masks.

The other two groups of spectators sat at a distance, first less, then more from each other. Using a computer simulation, scientists have recreated the air supply system in the arena and simulated the spread of coronavirus infection with different ventilation options. We also tried different concepts of organizing the entrance and exit of the audience, in particular, the third concert had four times more entrances than the first.

The general conclusion of scientists: mass events carried out in compliance with measures of hygiene and good ventilation have almost no effect on the overall increase in the number of infections. If such events were attended by 100 thousand people a month, then 0,4-2,3 percent of viewers would be infected with them, depending on the severity of sanitary measures. In the worst case, that is, in the absence of masks, social distance and poor ventilation, the number of infected can reach 23 percent.

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Seating and good ventilation

Based on the results of the study, Stefan Moritz, head of the department of infectology at the University Hospital Halle, voiced a number of recommendations for holding safe concerts and other public events in a closed arena during a pandemic. Scientists do not recommend gathering full houses: it is better to limit the number of spectators depending on the current data on the number of infections. In addition, it is safer to hold concerts with seated seats instead of standing ones - this makes it easier to fix the distance between spectators. Third recommendation: it is better to increase the number of entries, since, first of all, while waiting in line, contacts are longer and closer, which contributes to the spread of coronavirus infection.

Study leader Moritz notes the importance of wearing masks throughout the event. During a survey of project participants, it turned out that the vast majority were ready to wear them, although preference was given to ordinary fabric masks. And such cloth masks, according to scientists, would be sufficient - as long as food and drinks are allowed only in seated areas. It is also important to have employees who monitor compliance with hygiene rules. Of particular importance to prevent an increase in morbidity is the use of an air supply system that meets modern standards.

According to scientists from Halle, abandoning cultural events is not a solution to the problem. A concert, subject to hygiene rules, is safer than a wedding with a large number of guests, they are sure. Therefore, the head of the study, Professor Moritz, calls for adequate use of new data, despite the complexity of the current situation. At the same time, scientists do not exclude that at a big football match or any other major event the situation may differ from the one they modeled. After all, it was only an experiment, and its participants strictly adhered to all the rules.

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