The study also found that reducing venue capacity, having multiple arena entrances and seating spectators can have a major impact on the number of contacts people accumulate.

Its recommendations include only allowing food to be eaten at seats, open-air waiting areas, mask-wearing for the concert’s duration and employing stewards to make sure people stick to hygiene rules.

Researchers also developed an epidemiological model to analyse the impact of staging an event on the spread of the virus among the broader population.

They found hygiene measures such as mask-wearing and social-distancing should remain in place as long as the pandemic persists, while seating plans and number of guests should be adjusted based on the incidence of the virus.

“Events have the potential to fuel the epidemic by spreading pathogens, but if a hygiene concept is stuck to then the risk is very low,” said Rafael Mikolajczyk, from Halle University’s Institute for Medical Epidemiology.

The study’s results have not yet been peer-reviewed.

Reuters