Behind the collective euphoria under the masks, it is a whole scientific experiment which is carried out. Three days before the concert, the Bercy pit had been transformed into a screening room. The participants, – between 18 and 45 years old and without comorbidities – came to carry out a first antigen test, before a saliva test on the day of the concert, and another one a week after.

A control group

Of the 20,000 registered, 5,000, tested negative, were drawn to attend the concert, and 2,500 others, less fortunate, were part of the control group. A first compared to test concerts conducted in other countries.

“There was a test concert in Barcelona, ​​but there was no control group. There is really the strength of this test, it is to have a control group to compare those who attend the concert versus those who do not attend ” explains Prof. Jean-Marc Treluyer, Head of the Necker-Cochin Clinical Research Unit (AP-HP).

Results by the end of the month

The aim of this study is to find out if the virus is transmitted more widely during a concert, where the participants are standing. And a camera watches over the wearing of the mask.

“The idea is all the same to reconstitute a real situation in concert, in a pit, standing. There are protocols adapted on seated gauges. What does not exist is a protocol adapted to the standing configuration. The standing configuration is judged to be a complex case, precisely because being standing does not allow distancing to be respected ” adds Malika Séguineau, Executive Director of Prodiss.

Results of the study by the end of the month, to hope for the great return of concerts.