N.Y.C. Anime Conference Was Not a Superspreader Occasion, C.D.C. Finds

After the primary particular person identified to have turn out to be contaminated with the Omicron variant in the US was revealed to have attended a 53,000-person anime convention in Manhattan, considerations shortly mounted that the occasion had sown the seeds of a significant coronavirus outbreak.

However a brand new study released on Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention steered {that a} mixture of excellent air filtration, widespread vaccination and indoor masking had in reality helped stop the anime conference in November from changing into a superspreader occasion.

The share of attendee exams that got here again constructive was much like the share of coronavirus exams that have been constructive throughout New York Metropolis across the similar time, the C.D.C. stated. What’s extra, the few constructive samples that have been genetically sequenced have been largely of the Delta variant, not Omicron.

And conventiongoers who turned contaminated have been extra doubtless than those that examined unfavorable to have gone to bars, nightclubs or karaoke golf equipment.

Nonetheless, the C.D.C. stated that the virus’s unfold on the conference might have been a lot worse had it been held after Omicron turned dominant within the metropolis, provided that the variant is so contagious and able to spreading among the many vaccinated. On the anime conference, the C.D.C. stated in a separate report on Thursday, the one documented Omicron infections have been in a single cluster of not less than 16 constructive instances.

The primary research relied largely on individuals who got here ahead for testing after the occasion, which launched potential biases: These folks might have been extra cautious than the typical conference attendee, or extra inclined to report cautious behaviors. Well being officers had urged attendees to get tested. The C.D.C. might solely search for instances amongst folks on a registration checklist of ticket patrons, which didn’t account for the total variety of attendees.

The company’s findings matched these of New York Metropolis contact tracing officers, who stated in early December that they’d not discovered indicators of widespread transmission on the anime conference.

Within the aftermath of the occasion, held on the sprawling Javits Heart, the conference organizers got here below scrutiny as people reported seeing attendees flouting masking rules and pushing previous checkpoints.

However amongst attendees who have been examined, the C.D.C. stated, “proof of widespread transmission throughout the occasion was not recognized.”

The research drew on check outcomes recognized via well being division surveillance methods for 4,560 attendees. Of these, 119 folks — 2.6 % — examined constructive. Researchers additionally despatched on-line surveys to attendees asking about their check outcomes, signs and actions throughout the conference.

The anime conference required attendees to have acquired not less than one vaccine dose. The C.D.C. stated that amongst attendees who could possibly be matched with check and vaccination knowledge in well being division surveillance methods, 85 % had accomplished their main vaccination collection, one other 12 % had acquired a booster dose and three % have been partly vaccinated.

The C.D.C. research additionally credited the conference corridor for being outfitted with HEPA filters, which have been proven to effectively take away coronavirus particles from the air.