Good ventilation technology, food consumption in the seating areas, multiple entrances: University Medicine Halle (Saale) releases results of the RESTART-19 research project
The events industry and the cultural and sports sectors have been waiting in anticipation for the announcement of the results of the RESTART-19 research project of University Medicine Halle (Saale). One portion of the project was a concert in the Quarterback Immobilien Arena Leipzig with singer Tim Bendzko on August 22, 2020. During the concert, each participant received a contact tracer, a small device which collected the scientific data. The data was evaluated, modelled, calculated and verified over a period of several weeks. Airflow simulations were also carried out. Almost exactly two months later, on October 29, 2020, the findings and corresponding science-based recommendations are ready to be presented. The results will also be published in the coming days.
An overview of the key results:
- The total number of contacts lasting several minutes is relatively low during the event and can be considerably reduced through hygiene concepts.
- A higher number of contacts occur during admission to the venue and in the breaks. Thus, planning should focus on these aspects.
- Poor ventilation can significantly increase the number of people exposed to a risk of infection.
- Around 90 per cent of the study participants are not put off by the idea of wearing a mask and are willing to continue to do so in order to be able to experience such events again. (Survey conducted following the concert experiment.)
- If hygiene concepts are adhered to, additional impacts on the pandemic as a whole are low to very low.
Read the full findings and results below!