The Bavarian State Opera is co-managed by the Department of otorhinolaryngolocy during the pandemic (OPSAS study)

Since September 1, 2020, the Bavarian State Opera has resumed its performance with an audience. It is accompanied by a team of specialists from the Klinikum rechts der Isar during the Corona Pandemic.

Due to the global corona pandemic, opera house performances have been suspended almost worldwide. As one of the first major opera houses, the Bavarian State Opera resumed its performance schedule with an audience as of September 2020.

The State Opera is accompanied by a team consisting of Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Protzer, Director of the Institute of Virology of the Technical University of Munich, PD Dr. Spinner, Infectiologist, Dr. Gebhardt, Hospital Hygiene and Dr. Graf, Otorhinolaryngology, Head of Phoniatrics, Speech Therapy of the Klinikum rechts der Isar.

Among the employees of the State Opera, there are groups of people who, due to their instrumental, singing, dancing, artistic activities, cannot comply with the protective measures. These include keeping the minimum distance of 1.5 m and/or wearing mouth-nose protection and/or aerosol-forming activities (e.g. singers, wind instruments).

This group of people is also exposed to an increased risk of becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2 due to aerosol formation, among other things, and is potentially a risk for visitors to the venues in terms of carriers. This is a population of approximately 1000 employees from the chorus, orchestra, and ballet.

Regular rolling SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests can detect SARS-CoV-2 infections in these artistic employees at the Bavarian State Opera at an early stage.

The tests are coordinated and scientifically accompanied by Dr. Simone Graf, among others with the study: Bavarian State Opera: Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in artistic staff.

Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in artistic staff at the Bavarian State Opera: the OPSAS study.