How lit are NFT parties? Many of the partygoers of the Hong Kong ApeFest event organized by Yuga Labs reported that they had a great time. However, there doesn’t seem to be a consensus on this.
One would think that parties would be fun and generally harmless. However, some people who attended the ApeFest event reported something shocking- that they had almost lost their eyesight!
YugaLabs, the creators of the CryptoPunks and Bored Ape NFT collections, held an ApeFest Event in Hong Kong from November 3 to 5. As per their Twitter/ X statement, out of the 2,250 attendees, 15 suffered eyesight problems as a result of being exposed to UV lights at the event. The symptoms closely line up with photokeratitis.
Did People Lose Their Eyesight At The Hong Kong ApeFest Event?
Losing your eyesight and having to rush to a doctor after a party? I don’t think many of us can relate to that. Hangovers, sure. But having trouble seeing? That’s extreme. Yet, that’s precisely what many attendees of the Yuga Labs ApeFest Event in Hong Kong complained about.
For those not in the know, Yuga Labs has created both the CryptoPunks and Bored Ape NFT collections. The company held an event named ApeFest from November 3 to 5 in Hong Kong.
While the NFT market has severely crashed after reaching a peak during the pandemic, it hasn’t deterred many from getting together and having fun.
However, some complained that they returned from the event with eyesight problems due to the UV lights. For example, one Twitter/ X user, @CryptoJune777, complained:
“I woke up in the middle of the night after Apefest with so much pain in my eyes that I had to go to the hospital. I’ve seen several tweets about it. The doctor told me it was due to the UV from the stage lights.”
He was surprised at the problem because it hadn’t ever happened to him. @CryptoJune777 said:
“I go to festivals often but have never experienced this. I try to understand how it could happen that almost 1000 people were made blind. It seems like the lamps were not safe and came from AliExpress.”
Another Twitter/ X user, Adrian Zdunczyk (@crypto_birb), known for giving technical chart-based analyses of various digital assets, revealed that he was suffering from eyesight pain, too. He said:
“To all my friends who suffer now: go get your eyes checked. You’ve likely most literally got your eyes burnt with UV like I did, which requires medications, eye drops, eye protection, antibiotics, and specialist care. Don’t ignore this health hazard. Without proper treatment, it may cause long-lasting vision impairment and other serious damage.”
A Yuga Labs spokesperson said in a Twitter/ X statement from the @BoredApeYC account:
“Based on our estimates, the 15 people we’ve been in direct communication with so far represent less than one percent of the approximately 2,250 event attendees and staff at our Saturday night event.”
However, they are in touch with the people affected and are trying to determine the root cause of the problem.
Cointelegraph revealed that the contractor tasked with lighting for the event had used Philips TUV 30W G30 T8 light bulbs. These emit UV-V radiation of 12 watts, and their primary purpose is to disinfect surfaces.
The vision damage accounts by both these parties could hint at them having Photokeratitis/Welder’s eye. As per the American Academy of Ophthalmology:
“Photokeratitis is caused by damage to the eye from ultraviolet (UV) rays. Sunlight is the primary source of natural UV rays… There are also many artificial sources of ultraviolet light, including tanning lamps and beds, as well as arc welding.”
It remains to be seen if Yuga Lab gives the affected attendees any form of compensation.
Do you think the affected partygoers should get some monetary compensation from the organizers? Have you ever experienced a similar harsh ailment after coming from a party?
Let us know in the comments below.
Source: AAO, Bored Ape YC, and Cointelegraph
