South Korea’s Olympic committee (KOC) will issue its athletes with Zika-proof uniforms for this summer’s Olympic Games to help protect them from the mosquito-borne virus in Rio de Janeiro.
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Mosquito-repellent chemicals were added to the outfits, which all include long trousers, long-sleeved shirts and jackets.
South Korea’s committee said its athletes would wear the new clothing during ceremonies and training, as well as at the athletes’ village, the Associated Press reported.
“But we will distribute mosquito-repellant sprays to the athletes and will also vaccinate them against other diseases that can be spread by mosquitoes just in case”, the spokeswoman said.
When the Games roll around in August, it will be winter in the Southern Hemisphere, so the mosquito population will be lower, but the Zika virus, which causes serious birth defects, is a global health concern, and is one of the many issues the Olympics are facing. The threat of Zika has emerged as a major concern in the buildup to this year’s Olympics along with construction delays and the political turmoil in Brazil.
A team of South Korean government and Olympic officials visited Rio de Janeiro earlier this month to inspect Olympic venues and local hospitals that could treat the infected.
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Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes have revealed the kit they will be wearing as they compete in Rio de Janeiro later this year. Because the virus can also be transmitted by sexual intercourse, it urges men having sex with pregnant women, or those trying to become pregnant, to use condoms or abstain from sex.
