Usually medical studies include vaccinations, blood sampling, or different types of testing and monitoring. This COVID-19 study, though, was a bit different.

Barcelona was host to the Primavera Sound music festival, which saw 463 individuals attend a packed concert. These individuals were picked at random from a group of 959 (the other half didn’t attend the concert), and each was given an N95 approved mask at the entrance. While the concert-goers were required to keep their masks on during the entirety of the five-hour concert, social distancing was intentionally disregarded. The music lovers were allowed to sing, dance, and remove their masks to drink and smoke in a designated lounge area with a capacity of 1,600. While security took measures to prevent large lines and avoid overcrowding near restrooms, the concert was roughly normal (based on our newfound definition of normal).

Eight days after the concert, a series of coronavirus tests showed that zero participants of the 463 tested positive for the virus. Ironically, two individuals in the non-concert group tested positive for the virus. Could this mean that attending concerts is… a preventive measure we should all be taking? Well, no. Regardless, this study bodes well for getting us back to live shows.