Europe: ”Coronavirus Study in Germany Offers Hope for Concertgoers”

Findings from a test event with 1,200 attendees suggest that indoor concerts have a “low” impact on infection rates, providing they are well ventilated and follow hygiene protocols.

LONDON — Researchers in Germany may have some good news for frustrated concertgoers across the world whose activities have been constrained by the spread of the coronavirus.

Analysis of an indoor concert staged by scientists in August suggests that the impact of such events on the spread of the coronavirus is “low to very low” as long as organizers ensure adequate ventilation, strict hygiene protocols and limited capacity, according to the German researchers who conducted the study.

“There is no argument for not having such a concert,” Dr. Michael Gekle, part of the team at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg who conducted the study, said in an interview. “The risk of getting infected is very low.”

The study was posted online and announced at a news conference on Thursday but has not yet been peer reviewed.