Corona concert experiment: participants still wanted!
Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.
More posts by Christiane Fux All content is checked by medical journalists.Large events in Germany are still taboo due to the corona pandemic. But how risky could a concert with 4000 visitors actually be, for example? Researchers at the University of Halle want to find out. To this end, the researchers are holding a concert with the well-known singer Tim Bendzko in Leipzig at which the risk of infection is to be simulated.
With a mask to the concert
The safety of the participants is taken care of. Nevertheless, there is still a shortage of volunteers for the study. Strict security measures apply throughout the project. All subjects will be tested for corona infection two days before the concert. You must not have any symptoms and have not previously been in a risk area. They are also equipped with so-called FFP2 masks, which drastically reduce the risk of infection.
Contact tracing during the concert
During the event, all participants are equipped with a contact tracer, which constantly measures and records the distance to the other participants. In this way, the number of critical contacts made by each participant can be measured.
Using special technology, these can also be assigned to specific locations such as the entrance, grandstand or foyer. In this way, particular risk moments and situations can be identified during a major event and tips for future hygiene concepts can be derived.
Fluorescent disinfectant
In addition, all participants should regularly clean their hands with a fluorescent disinfectant. In this way, particularly dangerous surfaces can be identified, which should be given special consideration in future hygiene concepts.
The main goal of the researchers is to develop a mathematical model with which the risk of a corona outbreak can be calculated after major events in halls. In addition, it should be determined how many other people a concert-goer comes into contact with on arrival.
Existence of sports and art forms endangered
The current suspension of major events threatens the livelihoods of artists and athletes in Germany, write the researchers. At the moment, the existence of entire sports and cultural forms is at risk.
Framework conditions for concerts & co
The project aims to identify framework conditions under which artists and athletes can play and perform again after September 30, 2020 without these events endangering the population.
"The biggest challenge - I think - will be the data evaluation," said project manager Stefan Moritz. "Because we will measure the contacts with all other test subjects within a radius of 30 meters every five seconds for a whole day." According to those involved in the project, it is the first study of its kind in Germany.
Test of three security levels
Specifically, three scenarios are to be played out at the concert. There should be a process as it would have happened before the coronavirus pandemic: with two entrances to the Arena Leipzig, without distance rules and the like.
Then a scenario with a stricter hygiene concept, more entrances and significantly larger distances is played out. "In scenario 3, a distance of 1.5 meters is maintained on the spectator stands. Here, only just under 2000 test subjects are involved," it says.
Results in the fall
The project, which cost almost one million euros, is largely financed by the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony. The first results of the study are expected four to six weeks later.
The concert experiment will take place on August 22nd. Interested parties can register until Thursday, August 13 at the following website:
https://restart19.de/
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