Airborne infections related to virus aerosol contamination at indoor cultural venues: Recommendations on how to minimize

Abstract Background The COVID‐19 pandemic has resulted in many live events being canceled or held without spectator participation. As a result, a series of investigations were carried out and strategies developed to determine the requirements under which cultural activities can be maintained. This w...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Tunga Salthammer, Heinz‐Jörn Moriske
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2023-03-01
Series:Public Health Challenges
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/puh2.59
_version_ 1827974104232230912
author Tunga Salthammer
Heinz‐Jörn Moriske
author_facet Tunga Salthammer
Heinz‐Jörn Moriske
author_sort Tunga Salthammer
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background The COVID‐19 pandemic has resulted in many live events being canceled or held without spectator participation. As a result, a series of investigations were carried out and strategies developed to determine the requirements under which cultural activities can be maintained. This work summarizes published studies and provides recommendations for performing cultural events under pandemic conditions. Methods The available literature search was evaluated in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses. The results were combined with findings, guidelines, and regulations for conducting courses in other indoor environments under pandemic conditions, for example, school classrooms. Recommendations were derived, the consideration of which can enable the continuation of cultural events. Results The published studies can only take into account the previous conditions of the pandemic situation with the known virus mutations. However, the number of experimental investigations including analytical and medical proof of infections, surveys, and simulations is comparatively small. This is due to the complexity of the events as well as the priority and urgency of the school issue. Cultural events take place under very different conditions. It is therefore practically impossible to predict the risk of infection for a specific situation with many potential virus spreaders attending or to derive general rules that go beyond the known measures of vaccination, testing, masks, and distance. Conclusion Cultural events can be held under pandemic conditions provided certain requirements are met. Most study results agree on this. Any recommendations on hygiene, safety, and ventilation measures in cultural facilities under pandemic conditions can reduce the risk of infection but cannot completely eliminate it. It is also of considerable importance that visitors protect themselves individually and act responsibly.
first_indexed 2024-04-09T19:48:25Z
format Article
id doaj.art-28c42dd6304845df8414f865db07778c
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2769-2450
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-09T19:48:25Z
publishDate 2023-03-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Public Health Challenges
spelling doaj.art-28c42dd6304845df8414f865db07778c2023-04-03T10:35:20ZengWileyPublic Health Challenges2769-24502023-03-0121n/an/a10.1002/puh2.59Airborne infections related to virus aerosol contamination at indoor cultural venues: Recommendations on how to minimizeTunga Salthammer0Heinz‐Jörn Moriske1Fraunhofer WKI Department of Material Analysis and Indoor Chemistry Braunschweig GermanyFormerly German Federal Environment Agency Dessau‐Roßlau GermanyAbstract Background The COVID‐19 pandemic has resulted in many live events being canceled or held without spectator participation. As a result, a series of investigations were carried out and strategies developed to determine the requirements under which cultural activities can be maintained. This work summarizes published studies and provides recommendations for performing cultural events under pandemic conditions. Methods The available literature search was evaluated in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses. The results were combined with findings, guidelines, and regulations for conducting courses in other indoor environments under pandemic conditions, for example, school classrooms. Recommendations were derived, the consideration of which can enable the continuation of cultural events. Results The published studies can only take into account the previous conditions of the pandemic situation with the known virus mutations. However, the number of experimental investigations including analytical and medical proof of infections, surveys, and simulations is comparatively small. This is due to the complexity of the events as well as the priority and urgency of the school issue. Cultural events take place under very different conditions. It is therefore practically impossible to predict the risk of infection for a specific situation with many potential virus spreaders attending or to derive general rules that go beyond the known measures of vaccination, testing, masks, and distance. Conclusion Cultural events can be held under pandemic conditions provided certain requirements are met. Most study results agree on this. Any recommendations on hygiene, safety, and ventilation measures in cultural facilities under pandemic conditions can reduce the risk of infection but cannot completely eliminate it. It is also of considerable importance that visitors protect themselves individually and act responsibly.https://doi.org/10.1002/puh2.59public eventssafety measuresventilation
spellingShingle Tunga Salthammer
Heinz‐Jörn Moriske
Airborne infections related to virus aerosol contamination at indoor cultural venues: Recommendations on how to minimize
Public Health Challenges
public events
safety measures
ventilation
title Airborne infections related to virus aerosol contamination at indoor cultural venues: Recommendations on how to minimize
title_full Airborne infections related to virus aerosol contamination at indoor cultural venues: Recommendations on how to minimize
title_fullStr Airborne infections related to virus aerosol contamination at indoor cultural venues: Recommendations on how to minimize
title_full_unstemmed Airborne infections related to virus aerosol contamination at indoor cultural venues: Recommendations on how to minimize
title_short Airborne infections related to virus aerosol contamination at indoor cultural venues: Recommendations on how to minimize
title_sort airborne infections related to virus aerosol contamination at indoor cultural venues recommendations on how to minimize
topic public events
safety measures
ventilation
url https://doi.org/10.1002/puh2.59
work_keys_str_mv AT tungasalthammer airborneinfectionsrelatedtovirusaerosolcontaminationatindoorculturalvenuesrecommendationsonhowtominimize
AT heinzjornmoriske airborneinfectionsrelatedtovirusaerosolcontaminationatindoorculturalvenuesrecommendationsonhowtominimize