The risk of indoor sports and culture events for the transmission of COVID-19

Stefan Moritz (), Cornelia Gottschick, Johannes Horn, Mario Popp, Susan Langer, Bianca Klee, Oliver Purschke, Michael Gekle, Angelika Ihling, Frank D. L. Zimmermann and Rafael Mikolajczyk ()
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Stefan Moritz: Section of Clinical Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Halle (Saale)
Cornelia Gottschick: Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometry and Informatics, PZG, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
Johannes Horn: Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometry and Informatics, PZG, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
Mario Popp: Section of Clinical Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Halle (Saale)
Susan Langer: Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometry and Informatics, PZG, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
Bianca Klee: Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometry and Informatics, PZG, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
Oliver Purschke: Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometry and Informatics, PZG, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
Michael Gekle: Julius Bernstein-Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Martin Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg
Angelika Ihling: Section of Clinical Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Halle (Saale)
Frank D. L. Zimmermann: Zimmermann and Becker GmbH, Consulting Engineers, Dieselstr. 11
Rafael Mikolajczyk: Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometry and Informatics, PZG, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Nearly all mass gathering events worldwide were banned at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, as they were suspected of presenting a considerable risk for the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. We investigated the risk of transmitting SARS-CoV-2 by droplets and aerosols during an experimental indoor mass gathering event under three different hygiene practices, and used the data in a simulation study to estimate the resulting burden of disease under conditions of controlled epidemics. Our results show that the mean number of measured direct contacts per visitor was nine persons and this can be reduced substantially by appropriate hygiene practices. A comparison of two versions of ventilation with different air exchange rates and different airflows found that the system which performed worst allowed a ten-fold increase in the number of individuals exposed to infectious aerosols. The overall burden of infections resulting from indoor mass gatherings depends largely on the quality of the ventilation system and the hygiene practices. Presuming an effective ventilation system, indoor mass gathering events with suitable hygiene practices have a very small, if any, effect on epidemic spread.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25317-9

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