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Concert on August 22nd: How do ventilation concepts affect the distribution of aerosols in the air?
Photo: Sean Gallup / Getty Images
The corona pandemic has played a bad role in the entertainment industry in Germany.
Sports events have been canceled, as have concerts, festivals and other shows.
The risk of going unnoticed with the virus just seemed too great.
It was unclear how the virus really spreads in closed arenas and in which situations people get dangerously close.
Researchers at the University Medical Center in Halle (Saale) therefore carried out an unusual experiment with "Restart 19" in August.
In the Arena Leipzig they gathered 1,400 volunteers for several concerts by Tim Bendzko.
During the shows, three different scenarios were played out, which differed in terms of the number of participants and the intervals between the concert-goers.
Movements and encounters of the audience were recorded with a tracer that everyone wore around their necks (you can read here how the concert study went exactly).
In addition, a computer simulation was used to examine how different ventilation concepts in the scenarios affect the distribution of aerosols in the air and what consequences the resulting contamination would have on the Leipzig region.
Stefan Moritz, Head of the Department of Clinical Infectious Diseases at Halle University Hospital, wants to find out how and whether large-scale events could take place in closed rooms despite the corona pandemic with an acceptable risk of infection.
Concerts could be justifiable even during the pandemic
The result of the study suggests: Even during the pandemic, artists can perform in front of an audience in large halls - at least under certain conditions.
The decisive factor is good ventilation technology in the event venues.
This must enable a regular exchange with fresh air.
"This is a decisive key component for the risk of infection," explained study director Moritz.
However, compliance with strict hygiene concepts with distance rules and a mask requirement during the entire duration of the concert is essential for events in closed rooms.
Events should only be allowed while seated and not with a standing audience in order to avoid uncontrolled contact.
In addition, the number of visitors must be adapted to the current infection rate.
The number of new infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the past seven days (7-day incidence) is an important benchmark.
Only recently, the "Dresden Jazz Days" came under fire because there people usually without mouth and nose protection close together in the auditorium.
The hygiene concept had been approved by the city of Dresden, but the organizer has since made improvements.
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