Melbourne Concertgoers are Prone to Unknown Complications of COVID-19

In the midst of live music concert resurrection in Melbourne (9/9/2022), expert believes that being infected by COVID-19 multiple times could lead to unprecedented complications for young people.

As the aftermath of the first two international artist live music concerts in Melbourne by Louis Tomlinson at the end of July and Tyler, The Creator in the beginning of August, more than a dozen of teenagers and young adults from the audience are known to be tested positive for COVID-19. They shared via Twitter and Facebook that they tested positive after attending the concerts, encouraging other concertgoers to get tested.

Although the concertgoers say that they were aware of the risks, the Director of Centre for Chronic Disease at Victoria University, Professor Maximilian de Courten, says getting infected by COVID-19 more than once might lead to complications such as heart problems, neurological problems, and headaches.

“The more often you get infected, the more it adds up to the complications, and that’s why young people should be concerned,” Professor de Courten says. “And especially because we know so little.”

Facing the uncertainty in the long-term consequence of COVID-19 for young people, Michelle Lazarus, the Director of the Center for Human Anatomy Education at Monash University says that uncertainty intolerance is necessary for everyone.

“When health care providers don't leave room for uncertainty, the results can be profoundly harmful and even deadly,” Michelle says.

In the upcoming six months, Melbourne will host live music concerts from huge international artists including Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber, Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, and Elton John. These incoming concerts will be held in venues with capacity that varies from 7,000 to 100,000 people, as the result of the lifting of Density Limit and Movement and Gathering Order as well as the $1 billion investment by The Andrews Labour for the recovery of Victoria’s music industry through Live Music Restart Program – Festivals & Events, a grant initiated to fund organisers of large live music events and festivals.