A scientific study conducted at Exit Festival in Serbia has reportedly resulted in zero coronavirus infections.
The event, which took place between July 8–11 at Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad, welcomed between 42,000 and 48,000 people per day. With a line-up that included David Guetta, DJ Snake and more, it was the first major festival to he held in Europe since the pandemic began.
The Health Centre Novi Sad and the association Project Lab, under the leadership of epidemiologist Marija Milić MD, conducted a COVID study at the festival, where they divided a total of 345 visitors into two groups: vaccinated and those who entered the festival with a negative test.
According to CULTR, the test subjects were tested before entering the festival, when only one person was positive and thus not allowed to enter the site. Testing was repeated after seven days, July 15-17, and the results revealed there were zero positive coronavirus infections in either group.
“In order to examine the risk of contracting a new coronavirus during a visit to a mass event, in the situation where all preventive measures have been applied, and when all visitors were required to be fully vaccinated or have a negative test for coronavirus, it was decided that during EXIT Festival would be conducted a scientific study, thus using a unique opportunity to gain new scientific knowledge about the virus,” assistant professor, Milić MD, said of the study.
It’s also being reported that even 10 days after the festival there was no significant deterioration of the epidemiological situation in Novi Sad. In addition, the daily statistics of the virus in the period from July 8-19 in the city did not differ from the averages in the rest of the country.
Another indicator there was no mass spread of the virus at the festival is that out of almost 20,000 foreign visitors to Exit, and who in most cases needed PCR to return to their country, reportedly only one visitor tested positive.
Meanwhile, Paul McCartney has encouraged his fans and followers on social media to get vaccinated against coronavirus.
The Beatles legend is the latest high-profile music star to back the global vaccination effort, with Ariana Grande urging her fans to step forward and receive their jabs earlier this month.
