I was constantly at rock concerts when I was in middle and high school. Once I became an adult, I fell completely in love with watching performances by the likes of legendary artists as Oasis and Pet Shop Boys at summer festivals including the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival and the Jisan Valley Rock Music and Arts Festival. The Grand Mint Festival, the World DJ Festival and similar festivals held at the Hangang River were perfect for enjoying music while having a beer with friends.

 

Those times seem like forever ago now. After a year and eight months of suffering under the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis, we have already forgotten what it feels like to watch a concert in person.

 

COVID-19 is extremely persistent. Just when the situation starts to improve a little and we feel like we can relax, it shows its true power by infecting more people in the blink of an eye. Many performers have been unable to hold in-person concerts since 2019. So when I’m on social media these days, it’s like I can feel the sense of defeat that all those artists and fans are dealing with.

 

When I first started out as a journalist, I was determined to write a lot more about the music that I love, but somehow I’ve ended up writing articles about this awful pandemic every single day for over a year. These days, though, I see a glimmer of hope: The vaccination rate is increasing, and by around November we’re hoping to be able to attend shows in concert halls again.

 

So, in preparation for the “in-person concerts” that will hopefully be held toward the end of the year, I have put together some common-sense tips for healthy fan life during COVID-19 in Q&A format.

Q. Do I have to get vaccinated?

A. Vaccinations are essential in the prevention of COVID-19. While some people are concerned over the risk of breakthrough infections, where you can become infected even past the 14-day mark after your second dose, current estimates released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on September 22 peg the actual rate of breakthrough infections at just 0.04%—in other words, four in every 10,000 people. The Pfizer vaccine was also shown to be 79–88% effective in preventing infection from the delta variant in a study carried out by the National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency and the Korean Academy of Medical Sciences. Vaccines are crucial for both protecting yourself and for keeping yourself from infecting others.

 

In addition, you may be required to have been vaccinated in order to enter concert venues in the future. Lollapalooza, an American music festival, are said to have required festival goers to provide either a vaccination passport or a negative PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test in order to be admitted. France, meanwhile, has a vaccine mandate that requires patrons to show proof of vaccination before entering a venue. Korea may likewise request proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test at performance halls and some multipurpose facilities moving forward.

 

Use of the Pfizer vaccine has now been approved for people as young as 12 years old. The KDCA plans to take vaccination reservations for those aged 12 to 17 from October, so it’s advisable for teenagers to get vaccinated as well. Specifically speaking, some infectious disease experts have predicted that the number of infections will increase among unvaccinated teenagers in schools after adult vaccinations have been completed. It’s for this reason that teens are requested to get vaccinated in order to keep the schools safe. In addition to the KDCA, the World Health Organization’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts also emphasizes that the Pfizer vaccine is safe and effective for use by people 12 years of age and over.

 

Q. What is it about the delta variant that makes it such a problem?

A. When the gene sequence of a virus changes as it spreads, it becomes what’s known as a virus variant. We now know the delta variant of the COVID-19 virus is about 2.5 times more transmissible than the original virus, beating out other variants worldwide to become the dominant strain. At the moment, 98% of COVID-19 infections in Korea are caused by the delta variant.

 

According to a study done by the KDCA, samples taken from delta-infected patients on the day they show symptoms contain more than 300 times the viral load than those infected with other strains; a higher viral load means infection can spread even through minimal exposure. Moreover, while a single dose of the vaccine is fairly effective in preventing infection by and severe illness from the original strain of the virus, it’s less effective against the delta variant. In places like Korea, where the number of fully vaccinated people is only in the 50% range, people will inevitably be more vulnerable to the delta variant, but the vaccine is largely effective against delta once the second round is administered, so the two-part vaccine regimen must be completed in order to overcome delta.

 

Q. If I suspect I may have COVID-19, can I use one of the self-test kits available for purchase?

A. The KDCA has stated that self-test kits are “convenient to use, but not very accurate” and “only to be used under special circumstances.” The advantages they present as a “supplementary method,” such as simplifying sample collection to aid early detection, are clear, but they’re no substitute for the PCR tests conducted at screening centers. Studies show that the self-test kits themselves are considerably less sensitive (that is, have a reduced ability to report positive cases as positive) than PCR tests and that it’s difficult to ensure their accuracy because people collect their own samples from the nasal cavity (nostril) rather than the nasopharynx (deep behind the nose) as medical professionals do. In the event you exhibit any of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, including a fever or cough, you’re strongly advised to take a PCR test at a screening center or temporary screening station as soon as possible.

 

Q. Will it be possible to achieve herd immunity by November?

A. The government announced at the beginning of the year that herd immunity—where nearly everyone in a group has developed immunity—would be achieved when 70% of people are vaccinated and effectively bring COVID-19 to an end. However, even in countries where 70% of the population is fully vaccinated, COVID-19 outbreaks have continued in the wake of the delta variant and other factors. Moreover, as the strict social distancing we’re seeing now isn’t sustainable, a phased return to normal life is steadily rising as an alternative. KDCA commissioner Jeong Eun Kyeong defines a phased return to normalcy as “lowering the fatality (death) rate and number of severe cases through vaccinations and adding epidemiological or medical responses to control the pandemic”—in other words, a move toward suppressing COVID-19 while minimizing the impact on daily life.

 

Jeong said that this wouldn’t mean that social distancing is rescinded, however, but relaxed in phases. Infectious disease experts also believe it will be over a year before we can reduce the fatality rate from COVID-19 and manage it like we do the flu. Until that happens, we shouldn’t be expecting to take off our masks.

 

Q. Musicals and classical music concerts are still being held. Why is it only pop music concerts that aren’t allowed?

A. Until earlier in June, pop concerts were classified under gatherings and events, along with public assemblies, ceremonies and academic events, as opposed to performances. Under the social distancing guidelines applied from last November through June, concerts with over 500 attendees were only permitted under level one restrictions, and had to be reported to local officials. Attendance was capped at 99 for levels 1.5 and two, while at level 2.5 the limit was 49 people. The country was only under level one restrictions for a very brief period, so it became virtually impossible to hold a concert.

 

Movie and other theaters, meanwhile, faced somewhat less restrictive regulation, with spaced seating and bans on food, depending on the level of distancing. The government presumably took such strong measures on pop concerts because they generally have more audience participation and opportunities for droplets to spread through yelling and singing along, but the decision has also been criticized as being overly restrictive.

 

Of course, there was a sense of hope that some of those restrictions could be loosened. When the social distancing plan was reorganized into four levels in June from the previous five, pop concerts became subject to the same health rules as those in theaters. In the second through fourth stages of this new system, the maximum number of audience members was increased to 5,000. Under level four, as long as people who didn’t enter together kept one seat empty between them and the show finished by 10:00 p.m., concerts were allowed to be held. 

 

But with the fourth wave of the pandemic emerging in July, the government once again changed the particulars of the rules. They made it so that, with the exception of designated performance facilities, performances were prohibited under level four and limited to 2,000 attendees, one every six square meters, under level three. As such, with level four distancing currently in effect, it’s not possible to hold concerts at venues like Jamsil Sports Complex or KINTEX.

 

Q. What social distancing rules do fans need to follow at fan meetings and concert venues?

A. The need for masks is indisputable. In March, 5,000 people who had previously tested negative for COVID-19 wore FFP2 masks (equivalent to KF94 masks) while huddled close together at an indoor concert in Spain as a social experiment. There were 6,000 confirmed cases a day in the country at the time. Two weeks later, only six of the audience members tested positive for the virus, four of whose cases were found to be unconnected to the concert. Masks are proven to provide effective protection. It may be irritating, but everyone is encouraged to wear medical-grade masks such as those rated KF80 or KF94.

 

It's recommended to maintain a distance of about two meters when facing others or in tight indoor spaces such as when entering a venue or watching a concert. You should also refrain from shouting, singing alone or eating. You’re also highly encouraged to stay in your assigned seat, and to observe everyday sanitation protocol like regularly washing your hands or using hand sanitizer.

 

We won’t be able to live with these rules forever, of course. I’m anxiously awaiting the day we can cast off our masks and scream and shout at concerts like we did in the days before COVID-19.

 

Q. Will I be able to go to concerts once we begin the “phased return to normal life”?

A. Some 53,000 people gathered in Cornwall, England to attend Boardmasters, a five-day music festival; 5,000 of them became infected with COVID-19. The mass spreading event was attributed to the large crowd being together without masks for a long duration. As Boardmasters clearly shows, it’s unlikely we’ll be able to attend concerts the way we did in the past, but it’s expected that they’ll be permissible when held outdoors or in a large, well-ventilated indoor space and as long as the audience members wear masks, keep one empty seat between themselves and refrain from eating food.

 

Jeong, the KDCA commissioner, expects we’ll be ready for the phased return to normalcy when at least 70% of people in Korea are fully vaccinated (that is, 14 days after their second shot). Seeing as the government plans to attain a 70% full-vaccination rate by late October, Korea’s disease prevention paradigm may shift from one of strict social distancing to phased-in normalcy starting in November. So we’re almost there.