In December, nearly 500 spectators had attended, masked, a concert without physical distancing in a concert hall of Barcelona, ​​and no positive case had been detected among the PCR tests carried out eight days later.

But the reassuring results of this first European test concert are difficult to extrapolate for the reopening of this cultural sector, because of the strict conditions under which it was carried out, warn researchers in a study published on Friday.

Test different scenarios and different measures

The article presented in the British journal

The Lancet Infectious Diseases

is the version published and reviewed by other independent scientists of these first results. “Our study provides early data showing that indoor musical events can take place without increasing the risk of Sars-CoV-2 transmission when precautionary measures are taken, but it does not necessarily mean that all large gatherings are safe. », Warns Doctor Josep Maria Llibre, from the Germans Trias i Pujol hospital in Badalone. It invites in particular to analyze the conclusions according to the epidemic situation in Spain at that time, marked by a relatively low level of circulation of the virus.

“The parameters of the pandemic are constantly changing.

Large vaccination campaigns, variations in the incidence rate at a given location and the emergence of more transmissible variants of Sars-CoV-2 are all elements that can have an impact on the results ”, adds- he, calling for “more studies to test different scenarios and measures that take into account the local context”.

An Indochina test concert Saturday in France

The researchers also underline that this concert was held under "strict conditions" (wearing of FFP2 mask, security agents responsible for avoiding crowd movements, optimized ventilation), difficult to reproduce when the live music sector has resumed. his activities. In particular, they could represent "a prohibitive cost" for some organizers, while "testing thousands of people in a few hours is a logistical challenge", they admit.

The same team had performed another test concert, on a larger scale, on March 27, with 5,000 spectators, and concluded that there was no sign of contagion, but the participants had not this time been systematically tested afterwards.

Other countries have carried out similar experiments to test the risks of contamination during a concert framed by a strict protocol, in particular in the Netherlands at the beginning of March (1,300 people) and in the United Kingdom on May 2 (5,000 people without a mask) .

The first test of this type will take place on Saturday in France, with 5,000 spectators tested negative beforehand and compulsory mask for a concert in Indochina.

Culture

Coronavirus: The Indochina test concert in Paris still lacks volunteers

Culture

Coronavirus in Montpellier: Registrations for the Secret Place test concerts are (finally) open

  • Covid 19

  • Coronavirus

  • Concert

  • Culture

  • Barcelona