TY - JOUR
T1 - COVID-19 risk mitigation in reopening mass cultural events
T2 - population-based observational study for the UK Events Research Programme in Liverpool City Region
AU - Burnside, Girvan
AU - Cheyne, Christopher P.
AU - Leeming, Gary
AU - Humann, Michael
AU - Darby, Alistair
AU - Green, Mark A.
AU - Crozier, Alexander
AU - Maskell, Simon
AU - O’Halloran, Kay
AU - Musi, Elena
AU - Carmi, Elinor
AU - Khan, Naila
AU - Fisher, Debra
AU - Corcoran, Rhiannon
AU - Dunning, Jake
AU - Edmunds, W. John
AU - Tharmaratnam, Kukatharmini
AU - Hughes, David M.
AU - Malki-Epshtein, Liora
AU - Cook, Malcolm
AU - Roberts, Ben M.
AU - Gallagher, Eileen
AU - Howell, Kate
AU - Chand, Meera
AU - Kemp, Robin
AU - Boulter, Matthew
AU - Fowler, Tom
AU - Semple, Malcolm G.
AU - Coffey, Emer
AU - Ashton, Matt
AU - García-Fiñana, Marta
AU - Buchan, Iain E.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Royal Society of Medicine.
PY - 2024/1
Y1 - 2024/1
N2 - Objectives: To understand severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission risks, perceived risks and the feasibility of risk mitigations from experimental mass cultural events before coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions were lifted. Design: Prospective, population-wide observational study. Setting: Four events (two nightclubs, an outdoor music festival and a business conference) open to Liverpool City Region UK residents, requiring a negative lateral flow test (LFT) within the 36 h before the event, but not requiring social distancing or face-coverings. Participants: A total of 12,256 individuals attending one or more events between 28 April and 2 May 2021. Main outcome measures: SARS-CoV-2 infections detected using audience self-swabbed (5–7 days post-event) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, with viral genomic analysis of cases, plus linked National Health Service COVID-19 testing data. Audience experiences were gathered via questionnaires, focus groups and social media. Indoor CO2 concentrations were monitored. Results: A total of 12 PCR-positive cases (likely 4 index, 8 primary or secondary), 10 from the nightclubs. Two further cases had positive LFTs but no PCR. A total of 11,896 (97.1%) participants with scanned tickets were matched to a negative pre-event LFT: 4972 (40.6%) returned a PCR within a week. CO2 concentrations showed areas for improving ventilation at the nightclubs. Population infection rates were low, yet with a concurrent outbreak of >50 linked cases around a local swimming pool without equivalent risk mitigations. Audience anxiety was low and enjoyment high. Conclusions: We observed minor SARS-CoV-2 transmission and low perceived risks around events when prevalence was low and risk mitigations prominent. Partnership between audiences, event organisers and public health services, supported by information systems with real-time linked data, can improve health security for mass cultural events.
AB - Objectives: To understand severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission risks, perceived risks and the feasibility of risk mitigations from experimental mass cultural events before coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions were lifted. Design: Prospective, population-wide observational study. Setting: Four events (two nightclubs, an outdoor music festival and a business conference) open to Liverpool City Region UK residents, requiring a negative lateral flow test (LFT) within the 36 h before the event, but not requiring social distancing or face-coverings. Participants: A total of 12,256 individuals attending one or more events between 28 April and 2 May 2021. Main outcome measures: SARS-CoV-2 infections detected using audience self-swabbed (5–7 days post-event) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, with viral genomic analysis of cases, plus linked National Health Service COVID-19 testing data. Audience experiences were gathered via questionnaires, focus groups and social media. Indoor CO2 concentrations were monitored. Results: A total of 12 PCR-positive cases (likely 4 index, 8 primary or secondary), 10 from the nightclubs. Two further cases had positive LFTs but no PCR. A total of 11,896 (97.1%) participants with scanned tickets were matched to a negative pre-event LFT: 4972 (40.6%) returned a PCR within a week. CO2 concentrations showed areas for improving ventilation at the nightclubs. Population infection rates were low, yet with a concurrent outbreak of >50 linked cases around a local swimming pool without equivalent risk mitigations. Audience anxiety was low and enjoyment high. Conclusions: We observed minor SARS-CoV-2 transmission and low perceived risks around events when prevalence was low and risk mitigations prominent. Partnership between audiences, event organisers and public health services, supported by information systems with real-time linked data, can improve health security for mass cultural events.
KW - COVID-19
KW - SARS-CoV-2 transmission
KW - cultural events
KW - mass gatherings
KW - respiratory virus risk mitigation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85163014229&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/01410768231182389
DO - 10.1177/01410768231182389
M3 - Article
C2 - 37351911
AN - SCOPUS:85163014229
SN - 0141-0768
VL - 117
SP - 11
EP - 23
JO - Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
JF - Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine
IS - 1
ER -
