A sample should show how many corona infected people walk over the Wiesn

The Oktoberfest could cause the number of new corona infections to rise sharply.

A Munich radio station wants to keep an eye on the number of infections together with the rescue service.

On the first Oktoberfest weekend, they carried out random PCR tests.

Munich – The pandemic situation in Germany had recently eased somewhat in the summer.

In the meantime, however, the number of infections has increased again in many places in the past few weeks.

This was often due to the folk festivals in the region.

Oktoberfest 2022: Increasing numbers of infections expected

The Gäubodenfest in Straubing, the Barthelmarkt in Oberstimm, the Herbstfest in Rosenheim: they were all considered a test run for the world's largest Oktoberfest in the times of Corona.

After the Straubinger Volksfest, the corona incidence there more than doubled.

Experts also feared a similar development for the Munich Oktoberfest in advance.

"Synchronized superspreading with worldwide visibility" - experts warned of rising incidence

Oliver T. Keppler, virologist and university lecturer at the LMU, had warned in mid-September that the Wiesn would significantly increase the number of corona infections.

The Oktoberfest "can enable millions of new infections within two weeks in the greater Munich area," he told

.

"This is synchronized superspreading with global visibility," Keppler continues.

Together with the

the Munich radio station

carried out random corona tests on the first Oktoberfest weekend.

In order to be able to observe the course of the infection, they want to test the Oktoberfest visitors again a week later.

PCR test sample shows: only two out of 100 visitors positive

"

We selected visitors of different ages and backgrounds for the mass test and carried out a certified PCR test with them," test leader Jürgen Top told

.

As the radio station reports, out of 100 people tested, two people were positive.

"The viral load was very high in both cases, and there were no symptoms," says Top. 

"The result shows that at the current time probably only a few visitors to the Wiesn are positive," commented the radio station's program manager, Nick Lisson, on the result.

“We agree with our Mayor Dieter Reiter and recommend that all visitors do a self-test beforehand.

It gives everyone more security,” Lisson continues.

Oktoberfest boss Clemens Baumgärtner (CSU) also called on visitors to test themselves before visiting the Wiesn.

The local politician explicitly advised two groups of people not to go to the Wiesn.

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Rubric list picture: © picture alliance/Guo Cheng