After Charlotte: the memories — and virus — linger on
The historic Barbershop Reunion in Charlotte brought together nearly 5,000 Barbershoppers and guests for a fantastic return to large scale barbershop activity. Thank you for being a part of this memorable event! Through the contests, shows, and uncountable hours of lobby singing, our community again drew close together.
Which, safety precautions notwithstanding, inevitably meant viral transmission among guests. Required vaccination or proof of negative test before the event could reduce but unfortunately not eliminate the risk.
Now, a few days past the convention, individual reports of COVID are circulating. The anecdotal nature of reporting, plus the proximity effect can make the total caseload appear high or low, depending on one’s expectations.
Rather than rely on guesswork, BHS is working to gather more substantial information following the convention.
What BHS is doing
By the end of this week, all convention guests will receive a post-convention survey. The survey offers a mechanism for anonymous self-reporting of COVID infection, which might provide insight for future event planning. Please complete the brief survey as soon as possible.
What convention guests can do
- Complete the survey as soon as possible, and encourage other convention guests to do so. Every report (whether COVID positive or negative) helps round out the picture.
- Even if you have not developed symptoms, consider a home test. Asymptomatic infection is not uncommon and can cause further spread.
- If you have developed COVID, follow local reporting guidelines to public health authorities or your health care provider, as well as the CDC’s guidelines for what to do if you are sick.
- If you use your mobile device’s Exposure Notifications mechanism, (IOS or Android) report a positive test. This helps let others you’ve been near know they should consider additional precautions and testing.
- Share this info with individuals that you came into close contact with. If you spent an hour in a tag circle, let those folks know via social media, DM, etc. that you've tested, and encourage them to do the same.
What comes next
The Barbershop Harmony Society takes the health of our attendees extremely seriously. We will analyze the results of our attendee survey in order to provide insight into future events. As we did with the Midwinter survey results, we will publicly share the results with our community.
Take care, all!
