Germany One of the largest auditoriums in Leipzig resumed last weekend, with a concert of more than 1,400 spectators aimed at serving a study.

This is one of the most crowded gatherings in enclosed spaces in Germany after months, in the research of experts at Martin Luther Halle-Wittenberg University, with the aim of collecting data on the possibility of transmission.

Amid the bass guitar vibrating the auditorium, the crowd on August 22 enjoyed the performance of German singer Tim Bendzko in special circumstances.

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The aim of the project, the researchers said, is to identify approaches that allow concerts and other mass events to safely reconnect, before finding an effective Covid-19 vaccine.

"I hope this research will help sustain the joy of living around the world," said Michael Gekle, dean of the Martin Luther Halle-Wittenberg University School of Medicine.

The study comes as the number of nCoV infections in Germany began to rise again, after a period of supposed successful epidemic containment.

As a result, the researchers were met with criticism, faced with questions about the safety of the participants, as well as concerns that the performance was at risk of leaving the city of Leipzig, where relatively little recorded

The organizers initially set a target to attract 4,000 people to the concert, but managed to gather less than half of them.

It is not yet clear whether the results of the August 22 trial in Leipzig could have significantly contributed to accelerating the re-launch of mid-pandemic crowd events.

The experiment seems to push private companies and sports teams to make similar efforts.

The driving force behind the experimental idea came from sports clubs fearing a lack of spectators could put them out of business, even if the majority of the game was resumed.

To identify high-risk activities, the researchers holding the Leipzig demonstration tested three scenarios.

Before entering the test, Spiegel was not worried.

Hundreds of people squeezed through a crowded entrance, then lined up in front of the outside food stall.

Test participants were also given a bottle of disinfectant mixed with a dye that glowed under ultraviolet light to help researchers identify surfaces at high risk of infection.

The first test scenario most closely resembled a pre-pandemic performance, but seemed the least exciting atmosphere.

"We can still feel the atmosphere of the show. The main problem is breathing through a mask," said Jana, 37, one of the test participants.

For singer Bendzko, the test has brought a feeling of optimism.

However, Bendzko still warns of unrealistic hopes for the resumption of entertainment as usual.

Karsten Gunther, president of a handball club in Leipzig, said that when the stadium reopened, he "shed tears" when he saw the lights and felt that his normalcy had returned somewhat.

"But if we are not careful, we will never see this scene again," he said.