PRIMACOV: Results of Spanish clinical trial published

Spain’s PRIMACOV clinical trial found that a live music concert performed under a series of safety measures, including a negative antigen test, is ‘not associated with an increase in Covid-19 infections’.

The study – organised by Primavera Sound in association with Hospital Germans Trias in Barcelona and the Fight AIDS and Infectious Diseases Foundation – involved a concert at Barcelona’s Sala Apolo (cap. 1,608) on 12 December to show whether rapid testing could hold the key to staging concerts without social distancing.

The study achieved its primary endpoint after organisers found that none of the 463 participants that were randomly selected to enter the concert were infected with Covid-19 during the trial.

One of the researchers involved, Boris Revollo, believes that the list of conditions included in the study could be easily reproduced for other events.

All 1,047 participants – which were between 18-59 years old, had no comorbidities, were not living with old household contacts, and had not been diagnosed with Covid-19 during the 14 days preceding – were screened before the concert and had a negative antigen result.

Of them, 463 were randomly selected to enter the concert and 496 remained in the control group with no access to the concert venue and completed the follow-up visit.

Boris Revollo believes that the list of conditions included in the study could be easily reproduced for other events

The 463 granted entry were given a certified N95 cloth mask at the venue entrance, which they were required to wear during the entire event, except when drinking.

No physical distancing was required in the concert room, where singing and dancing was permitted as well.

All airflows and room ventilation were optimised in the two indoor rooms and air exchange was monitored throughout the entire event.

The flow movement of all the participants inside the venue was previously defined and marked, clearly delimited, and observed by the security crew during the event. Measures were implemented to avoid queues in toilets, entries and exits.

The concert, spanning five hours, included two DJ sessions and two live music performances with local artists Marta Salicrú, Unai Muguruza, Mujeres and Renaldo and Clara.

The show followed a similar trial in Germany, dubbed Restart-19, which found that live shows could take place safely under “specific conditions during a pandemic”. Several ‘Back to Live’ pilot events will also take place in the Netherlands, with the government’s backing, in January.

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