Features
German Scientists Happy With Data Pool Created In Coronavirus Experiment
Courtesy of Universitätsklinikum Halle (Saale) – 1,500 test subjects showed up on Aug. 22 at Arena Leipzig
Scientists had issued a call for participation in a study that will be evaluated in order to create a risk assessment model for live events.
Scientists at the medical center of Halle University in Germany conducted a scientific experiment the at the Quarterback Immobilien Arena in Leipzig, Aug. 22, in order to gather data on crowd management that could provide useful for live event professionals.
German singer and songwriter Tim Bendzko performed a real concert on the day, during which different crowd behavior scenarios were simulated.
Organizers had hoped for a sample size of 4,000 participants, 1,500 registered and showed up in the end. They agreed to hang a tracker around their necks, which continuously transmitted data while they moved around the arena.
Playing through each scenario, having people exit and re-enter the arena three times, took ten hours in total and was carried out in the height of summer.
Even with a third of the expected number of test subjects, scientists are confident they’ll be able to work well with the data pool. Dr. Stefan Moritz, who is heading the study dubbed Restart 19 at Halle University, commented: “We are really pleased. Data collection is going very well so that we will have good quality data, the atmosphere is great and we are extremely satisfied with the amount of discipline people are showing with respect to wearing masks and using disinfectant.”
Courtesy of Universitätsklinikum Halle (Saale) – A concert in the name of science
The experiment lasted ten hours in total.
The collected data will be used to develop a mathematical model for risk assessment and the establishment of framework conditions for major events. But first, it will be analyzed, initial results will “probably be released in the first weeks of October,” according to a press release.
The project is being financed with €990.000 from the states of Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony as well as from University Medicine Halle (Saale).
Performer Tim Bendzko commented on his extraordinary performance: “It was really enjoyable. At first, I thought the masks would make for a very sterile atmosphere, but there was a surprisingly good vibe.
“I hope that the results will enable us to play concerts in front of real audiences again soon,” he continued, pointing out that 99.9 percent of people in the event industry work in behind the scenes: “We are heading for a major disaster and we urgently need to find solutions.”