German scientists held experimental concerts in Leipzig today to study the transmission of COVID-19 at large indoor venues. The plan, as we reported last month, was to outfit 4000 healthy volunteers who tested negative for the virus with wearable tracking devices to transmit data on their movements and proximity to other audience members.
The government-sanctioned experiment, called Restart-19, was conducted over the course of three concerts by German singer Tim Bendzko. According to the BBC, the first was to simulate an event before the pandemic, the second had greater hygiene and social distancing, and the third had a smaller audience and more distance between concertgoers.
TMZ reports that 2000 people showed up to the first concert. All attendees, aged 18-50, were given FFP2 protective face masks and disinfected their hands with fluorescent hand sanitizer to help researchers identify what surfaces pose the most risk. The whole idea, according to the organizers of the study, is "to investigate the conditions under which such events can be carried out despite the pandemic."
"The corona pandemic is paralyzing the event industry," Saxony-Anhalt's Minister Of Economics And Science said before the event. "As long as there is a risk of infection, major concerts, trade fairs and sporting events cannot take place. This is why it is so important to find out which technical and organisational conditions can effectively minimise the risks."
