Tuesday, November 05, 2024
Anime Expo 2022 is a Covid Super Spreader

Anime Expo 2022 is a Covid Super Spreader

It is a fact that Covid is still around and also that anime fans want to return to conventions or gatherings. This year Anime Expo returned in person after a two-year hiatus. Some people got excited after this announcement and others asked are we ready for this?

Anime Expo isn’t the first convention to return to physical attendance. Yet the issue is after the conventions are over some came and went without any positive cases [none that were reported that is] but some like Pax East had some coverage with high numbers of infected attendees taking to social media to report their positive results and even a death of a staffer who came down with covid. After this social media was blasted with mixed comments, some concerned saying they wish those infected a speedy recovery, while others share other ideas saying attendees didn’t protect themselves in offsite con events and therefore not protecting other con-goers. Some even blamed the convention for not having stricter policies in place, some even asked if it is possible to go to a convention and be 100% safe. 

Being a staffer for this outlet I can tell you that I and a fellow staffer have gone to other conventions and we have seen strict policies being followed and at times totally ignored. Our staff has attended Pax West in 2021, Fanime 2021, Wondercon 2022, and OffKai Expo 2022 just to name a few. We have come out with negative results, we are vaccinated and do encourage people to get vaccinated and also wear a mask [surgical or better] while in a crowd or within six feet of others. 

We decided to do the “anime convention sort of scientific experiment” before the convention in which some of us would go as press and others would go as general attendees to see if it would be possible to attend a fully sold-out convention that is known for its shoulder to shoulder rooms and high temperatures even inside. Hoping to see if it would be possible to attend and still be safe. We would have some rules to follow that we all agreed to follow. These rules are as follows

Rules

Wear masks while inside the convention center not just panels

Mask would be Kn95 or N95, no cloth. Carry extras in case one broke or got soiled, surgical [blue ones] would be used only in emergency or last resort.

Use hand sanitizer [provided at the convention but carried our own] as often as you can, especially before eating, after handling money, touching merchandise that others had handled, before entering vehicles to and from the convention, or whenever unsure that your hands touched possible contaminated areas.

Use Lysol/Clorox wipes to wipe down seats if you feel they aren’t cleaned since some rooms were not regularly cleaned.

No shaking hands, instead fist bumps followed by hand sanitizer or a simple elbow bump.

If attending outside convention events same rules still applied.

We all stayed in the same house but separated in case someone became positive it could be contained.

On day 0 we all took a rapid test as control and days before arriving in LA we monitored if we had any symptoms.

Take notes to see what protocols were being followed not just by attendees but also by LACC staffers, SPJA Staffers, SPJA Guest handlers, and even the AX guest that attended.

Take notes of how crowd areas were inside the LACC i.e main floor, Exhibit Hall, Entertainment Hall, Artist Alley, Panel rooms, and queued lines for panels.

See if hand sanitizer stations were being used by con-goer or if any were empty for longer than a few hours, were con-goes washing their hands after going to the restrooms or just rising their hands with water and not soap.

The day we returned home from the convention we took another rapid test and scheduled a PCR test for day 5 after the last AX day attended. We would share if we felt any symptoms to alert others to be cautious.

Rapid test control

After we had established these rules we noticed the policy changes that AX had changed such as the removal of proof of vaccination or negative test just to be pressured to reinstate the rule by attendees once again. At this point, we knew there was going to be a debate on social media about the protocols that AX would establish and if they would follow them. So we decided to monitor social media and see what people had to say.

During the convention, we notice posts complaining about rules not being followed. Such complaints were directed to AX on Facebook and Twitter saying that their policy of masks being required at all times or entry would be denied was not being followed or enforced. Some con-goers replied that people would pass the line without a mask and that some LACC staff would not say anything at all. To the point that some staff members were not wearing masks themselves. Attendees said that AX should tell LACC staff to also follow the rule and enforce it.

 

 

 

One incident that took over on social media was the person who documented the CO level in different areas of the convention. The highest reading was that of Kentia Hall where artist alley and autographs were held. Some people commented that no wonder they felt dizzy or it was stuffy inside the hall. While others brought up the OSHA standards and said that even though they were high they were still technically below what OSHA considers dangerous to humans. The one fact was that artist alley is really crowded to the point that you are pushing your way through the crowd just to get by. One way to work around this is ventilation, from having open doors so air can flow or fans that create positive and negative pressure to move air through the Kentia Hall. At a previous AX on the main floor, the AC was not working properly so they opened the ceiling glass windows and opened the doors to allow for airflow to enter the main floor. This was a relief to most that year. Simple things like this would go a long way during these times. Here is an article about how ventilation is overall better for more than just covid-19.

As for panel rooms they were not cleaned after each panel and some were not cleared out. Something similar to what SDCC does with Hall H. This would cause people to enter panels before their preferred one and just camp the seats and before the next one just move up to a closer seat. For some people that would not camp the previous panel, they would have to endure the dreaded queue line. This line for some of the bigger rooms would be formed outside the hall in the hot sun some would find some shade but not many. So combining these lines with the heat and also masks, is a bad combination. Since some masks especially the kn95 and n95 tend to sweat due to the seal around the face, people would take them off to feel some relief. A fix for this would be the same thing they had a while back canopies and maybe even go a step further and have some misters under these canopies. Also in between panels have the people who will remain in the room stand up while staffers would go by with sanitizer spray and spray the seats. This can be done in 8-12 mins with enough staffer help and collaboration of the attendees. 

As for cosplayers, some integrated their masks into their costumes while others would take them off just for pictures, and some just said screw it and not wear one at all. This was not just happening outside between the crypto center and the parking lot where most photographers gather but also happening inside the main floor below the exhibit hall. In regards to this there is an area in the entertainment hall with backdrops for cosplayers to take pictures but if you really want to be on the main floor then wear a mask and when asked to pose for a video or picture then you could take it off.

 At the end of the convention, we noticed people reporting their positive test results online. To which people would either send positive messages and others replied with “what did you expect from going to a spreader event”. People even received notices that they had come in contact with someone that tested positive and they should consider getting tested. We saw people sharing that they had been careful all this time just to attend AX and come out positive. We did see people holding SPJA responsible for this occurrence. Some even went as far as telling people they deserved to test positive and they didn’t feel bad for them. This did split the community in some regards now having to defend why one had decided to attend and others attacking them.

 Back to the sort of scientific test, as press, we saw plenty of access to sanitizer stations, and restrooms were well maintained. Many staffers used masks, some SPJA guest handlers did not follow the masks on at all times rule, that being in the guest resting rooms and as they escorted them around. Inside panels, we saw a mix of staffers with and without masks. We saw a mix of guests shake hands with convention handlers and some doing the fist bump instead. We saw press outlets that had not seen each other for a while hug while others restrained themselves. 

We asked general attendees Jason and Joanna about their overall experience around the convention center and this is what they had to say. 

Jason: I primarily focused on attempting to line up at the Hololive booth. It took me about 3 hours to get into the actual convention center. Additionally, I noticed that they were also mixing lines for panels and to get into the actual convention center itself. The Hololive booth was near the back of the exhibit hall and they compacted the line to where I was shoulder to shoulder with other attendees which was rather worrisome. Overall Anime Expo’s covid policy felt like a mixed bag as a lot of off-site events that were still part of the convention seem to have their own set of rules.  

Joanna: The most intriguing thing was how many people actually showed up to Anime Expo this year. Even though there were very large crowds around the convention center, most attendees did follow the rules of keeping a proper face covering on while indoors. The outdoor area connecting South & West halls was mixed between attendees who would mask up if they were in a long line for food or panels and occasionally people who were just walking around were unmasked. A wide variety of vendors for food and inside the exhibit hall were often not wearing masks. I was delighted to see that vendors inside artist alley were mostly wearing masks and attendees were courteous to do the same. Additionally, there were signs letting specifying that masks were required. To my surprise, there wasn’t much mask enforcement and the security was making sure all attendees had their authorized covid wristband on. Volunteers were mixed on masking up but they did make sure to enforce the use of masks upon entering panel rooms. 

Our results were from our staff that stayed in the same house we can say that we all came out negative in all the rapid tests and even the PCR test. We followed the rules we set and we used common sense, if we saw a crowded area we would come back at a later time if we saw a group of people not wearing masks we went around them. We weigh our decisions with common sense and we held each other accountable for our actions. But most importantly we wanted to protect each other since we are friends outside of this press outlet. 

{gallery}Rapid Test{/gallery}

Bottom line we have to admit Covid isn’t gone but can we try to protect ourselves and thus protect our fellow con-goers? Yes. Are our rules 100% proven that you won’t get covid? No. Nothing is 100% effective not even personal protective equipment is always 100% safe there is always a chance they can fail. Can and should conventions force people to follow set guidelines? Yes and no, it is like the saying goes “you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink”. The best they can do is provide the necessary things like sanitizer, and well-ventilated rooms, if you have a mask on rule enforce it but It all comes down to the individual. We as fans know we want the convention to happen so we can see our friends and enjoy our passion among other fellow fans but we also know what the risk is. Overall if you attend any future conventions remember you are only as safe as the rules you follow and still there is a margin of error.