Zika was first reported in Brazil in 2015, though it may have arrived earlier, and is blamed for a surge in cases of microcephaly, a birth defect in which an infant’s skull and brain are unusually small and deformed.
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According to The Guardian, the Zika virus has been linked to Guillain-Barré syndrome, a neurological disorder that can cause paralysis and death.
According to Prof Albert Ko, chairman of the department of epidemiology of microbial diseases at YSPH, Brazil is being stigmatized due to the presence of the virus.
“So very happy to be here, happy for the Village that you provided, for the lovely city, and the people”, she said.
“Based on several modeling studies, the risk to non-pregnant visitors or competitors to the Olympics seems to be manageable and does not merit any postponement or abstention”, said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior associate at the University of Pittsburgh’s UPMC Center for Health Security in Baltimore.
People traveling to Brazil know they’re entering the world’s most active Zika area. And a number of golf stars – including Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen and Vijay Singh – have also declined to participate. COA president Gerardo Werhein told Argentinian media: ‘We are hiring apartments outside the village. About half of those travelers will return to “high-income” countries, such as Canada and the USA, where there is a low risk of them establishing a local spread of the virus.
A statement from the International Olympic Committee to ATR said that Rio officials “have expressed regret”, over how the village was handled, and that crews were continuing to work 24 hours a day to finish the necessary upgrades. In May, an open letter addressed to the World Health Organization and signed by 150 global doctors, scientists and researchers called for the August Games to be moved or delayed to help prevent the spread of Zika virus. Gonsalves pointed out that it’s now winter in Rio, which means mosquito activity will likely be low.
The Olympic Village counts with 3,604 rooms across 31 buildings, was built with private funds and will be sold to the public after the Games is over.
The virus can be devastating to pregnant women and their offspring. “They did bring up a couple of valid points”, he said.
Still, Saul thinks it’s a bit bold to say the risk from the games is minimal.
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“We are confident that our accommodation is ready to receive athletes and will be to the highest standards. I think people looking to plan a family should do all they can to protect themselves, including avoiding the Olympics”.
