Harvard Scientist: Rio Olympics Could Spark 'Full Blown Global Health Disaster' (independent.co.uk)

An anonymous reader writes: Doctors have warned that the upcoming 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro could spark a "full-blown public health disaster" with the spread of the Zika virus. The World Health Organization has declared a health emergency in response to the disease's spread through Latin America. Rio has the highest number of cases of any state in the country. Dr Amir Attaran said in the Harvard Public Health Review the Olympic Games could increase the spread of the virus, suggesting the Games should be hosted by a different city in Brazil. "While Brazil's Zika inevitably will spread globally, given enough time, viruses always do -- it helps nobody to speed that up," he said. "In particular, it cannot possibly help when an estimated 500,000 foreign tourists flock into Rio for the Games, potentially becoming infected, and returning to their homes where both local Aedes mosquitoes and sexual transmission can establish new outbreaks." It's highly unlikely the virus will cause officials to take drastic action since the Games start on August 5th. With economic and political issues in the country, the Zika virus is just one more thing undermining confidence in the country's ability to host the Olympics. It was reported earlier this year that Rio has given up on its promise to eliminate 80 percent of the sewage found in the city's notoriously filthy water.

Comments

Not very realistic

[93 Escort Wagon]

The games are two and a half months away. Preparations for hosting them take years. I can't see the point in this guy's comments, other than as an attempt to garner some cheap publicity.

Re:Not very realistic

[Frosty Piss]

The games are two and a half months away. Preparations for hosting them take years. I can't see the point in this guy's comments, other than as an attempt to garner some cheap publicity.

Regardless of *if* the games occur (they will), he's telling people to stay away . That is the point of his comments.

Re:Not very realistic

[NicknameUnavailable]

The games are two and a half months away. Preparations for hosting them take years. I can't see the point in this guy's comments, other than as an attempt to garner some cheap publicity.

Canceling them would be the sane thing to do if they can't be moved elsewhere or postponed to move elsewhere. Having a completely arbitrary worldwide event in a practical plague area that causes horrible birth defects in the infected is fucking stupid. No sport is worth the risk of allowing people from your nation to risk others in your nation like that.

Re:Not very realistic

[KGIII]

Actually, I understand a whole lot of fucking goes on at the Games. It's a veritable fuck-fest, or so I'm told. I know about a dozen folks who have participated or been an alternate and gone to the games. Almost all of them have mentioned the sex and I do recall it being also mentioned either in a news program or a documentary but I'll be damned if I can tell you which one.

It would appear that physically fit people, in their prime, like to fuck. Go figure?

At any rate, it's a good idea to use a condom. I want to say the documentary talked about them handing out condoms and (maybe) running out? But, my memory is toast. (Buttered with cinnamon and sugar.)

Lay the blame at the proper set of feet

[rmdingler]

World Cup Soccer in Qatar in the midst of the 45 degree celsius (112 f) summer, the Olympics in the midst of the Russian kleptocracy, and now this mess...

Human greed and self-interest at the expense of pragmatic decision-making. Wouldn't it be something if it were a new story.

Re:Shouldn't others have a say?

[kylemonger]

The Olympics is a large surge of incoming people, but consider that Rio receives 2.82 million international tourist visitors per year (source: Wikipedia). I'd imagine the tourism numbers have come down since the heartbreaking pictures of those microencephalic babies appeared, but even a 50% decrease leaves a mess of people who could carry the virus home with them.

Whatever is going to happen with Zika is going to happen with or without the Olympics. And with global warming proceeding apace, the mosquitos are going to be spreading out of the tropical regions in any event. Get ready.

Editing is fundamental

[porges]

Which leads to a simple question: But for the Games, would anyone recommend sending an extra half a million visitors into Brazil right now? Of course not: mass migration into the heart of an outbreak is a public health no-brainer. And given the choice between accelerating a dangerous new disease or not—for it is impossible that Games will slow Zika down—the answer should be a no-brainer for the Olympic organizers too. Putting sentimentality aside, clearly the Rio 2016 Games must not proceed.

Phrasing, dude.