Thread
A pre-print (before peer review) of the PERFORM trial will be published tomorrow morning. This trial was set up to look at the amount of aerosol produced when breathing, speaking, shouting and singing, in order to provide further information about the risks of singing.

Remember: this study was set up just a few weeks ago, and is the most comprehensive aerosol study of its type yet published.

Huge credit to Jonathan Reid ( @BristolUni), Chris Orton ( @imperialcollege), Natalie Watson ( @surgeonsinger) and the rest of the team, when this was done in most people’s “spare” time.

The key points of the study:
There is a steep rise in aerosol mass with increase in the loudness of the singing and speaking, rising by as much as a factor of 20-30. However, singing does not produce very substantially more aerosol than speaking at a similar volume.

There were no significant differences in aerosol production between genders or among different genres (choral, musical theatre, opera, choral, jazz, gospel, rock and pop).

Musical organisations could consider treating speaking and singing equally, with more attention focused on the volume at which the vocalisation occurs, the number of participants (source strength), ...

...the type of room in which the activity occurs (i.e. air exchange rate) and the duration of the rehearsal and period over which performers are vocalising.

Based on the differences between vocalisation and breathing and the likely difference in the number of performers and audience members in many venues, singers may not be responsible for the greatest production of aerosol during a performance; ways to ensure adequate ventilation…

…in the venue may be more important than restricting a specific vocal activity. These recommendations will add to the research that can more towards allowing live musical performances and the safe distancing of performers and the audience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These results should help performers, venues and organisations to undertake their own risk assessments when deciding how to open up to performances safely.

In the UK, @CommonsDCMS have already made changes to the restrictions around singing and wind/brass playing.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/performing-arts