Yodel-Ay-Eee-OH-NO: Yodeling Concert Blamed as Superspreader in Rural Swiss Region
Photo by Richter Frank-Jurgen via Flickr.
A yodeling concert in Switzerland that was attended by 600 people is being blamed as a superspreader event responsible for a massive spike in Covid-19 cases in the area.
The late September yodel fest was held in Schwyz, a heavily-agricultural canton in central Switzerland that borders the Alps. Normally such a rural area would not be expected to be a coronavirus hotspot, but nine days after the concert, local health authorities began noticing spreading infections.
Concert attendees were reportedly asked to socially distance at the indoor event, but that was not strictly enforced, and masks were not required, as they could interfere with the sing-along. Numerous studies have shown that the virus can be transmitted through water droplets from the breath of an infected person, and there is an increased risk when people are in an confined area indoors and engaged in activities like singing that involve deep breathing.
According to Agence France-Presse, the region went from 500 cases in mid-September to 1,238. The cases show no sign of slowing, with 94 people testing positive on Wednesday, double as many as on Tuesday.
The local hospital has overwhelmed and has been begging residents to wear masks and avoid large gatherings.
“The proportion of positive tests is extremely high. We have passed from 30% to 50%. One out of every two people is testing positive,” hospital director Franziska Föllmi told reporters.
Chief doctor Reto Nüesch also weighed in, posting a dire warning online, “It’s time we reacted. The explosion in the number of cases in Schwyz is one of the worst in all of Europe.”
Coronavirus cases in many European countries have been trending upward recently, as they have in the United States, causing concern among health officials as the colder winter weather and flu season approaches.
