FA Cup Final at Wembley will be studied by scientists
They're looking at how to minimise airborne transmission of viruses
The FA Cup Final at Wembley this weekend will be studied by scientists looking at the airborne transmission of Covid-19.
The team are going to monitor air quality as well as the flow of air at different parts of the venue.
Their plan is to create some guidance on how to minimise the spread of viruses at large scale events.
Around 22,000 people are due to attend the match between Leicester and Chelsea, including just over 6,000 Foxes fans - who are hoping to see their club lift the trophy for the first time in its history.
The researchers say their work could help kick-start the sport and entertainment industry as restrictions continue to be lifted.
Dr Liora Malki-Epshtein, of University College London's Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering, said:
"The first phase of the work will be one piece of the puzzle informing government policy on the feasibility and possibility of reopening events safely in the summer and beyond.
"We cannot control human behaviour at events but we can help to ensure that the environment the participants are in is as safe as possible.''
The Government's Events Research Programme (ERP) is running pilots to examine the risk of transmission of Covid-19 from attendance at events and explore ways to enable people to attend them safely.
The researchers are also examining data from Tuesday's Brit Awards ceremony at London's O2 Arena, which was attended by 4,500 people.
It comes as experts from around the world are calling for a paradigm shift'' in indoor ventilation to combat future virus spread.
Writing in the journal Science, the researchers said that, just like regulations on the safety of sanitation, drinking water and food, the Government also needs to focus on pathogens in the air as evidence continues to grow that coronavirus can be transmitted through aerosols in crowded indoor spaces.
Dr Julian Tang, a clinical virologist of respiratory sciences from Leicester University and one of the authors on the paper, said that ventilation certificates "for public places could enable employees to more confidently'' return to offices as well as help restaurants gain their diners' trust.
He said: "We all want to be confident that the air in our homes and the buildings and restaurants we visit is clean, just as we are assured that the water coming out of our taps is safe for us to drink.''