The continued presence of the virus ahead of the summer Olympics has caused athletes and health specialists to question the risks involved in allowing the Games to go ahead with hundreds of thousands of spectators travelling to the city.
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In a shocking statement, former Brazilian footballer Rivaldo has urged tourists to stay away from the upcoming Rio Olympics for their own safety.
Brazilian leaders are also dealing with an economic downturn and corruption scandal that may have ensnared President Dilma Rousseff and her predecessor.
Seattle Reign FC and U.S. Women’s National Team goalkeeper Hope Solo said Tuesday she will “begrudgingly” go to the Olympics in Rio despite concerns about the Zika virus.
Attaran joins a number of public health experts in calling for the Olympics to be relocated or postponed, noting that precedent exists for such a move.
“This morning in Rio de Janeiro bandits killed this [17-year-old girl]”, the 2002 World Cup standout wrote in Portuguese.
As a competitor, Solo said she chose to participate in the games because there’s a chance to set a new standard. This equity problem takes on added meaning in poorer, weaker countries like Nigeria, India or Indonesia, which haven’t got the resources to fight Zika that Brazil does – and which anyway are proving insufficient.
Recently, senior Rio health officials told Around the Rings that they believe their biggest worry for Rio 2016 won’t be the Zika virus but rather H1N1, also known as the swine flu.
The Zika infection was initially linked to pediatric microcephaly and brain damage, but then also showed signs and connections to Guillain-Barré syndrome and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, which can be fatal in some cases.
“The last couple of people that I have spoken to, who have been to Rio in the past month or two, haven’t seen a mosquito”, he said.
University of Ottawa professor Amir Attaran suggested earlier this week that the Games should be moved or postponed, claiming they could result in the worldwide spreading of the Zika virus.
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It’s not only athletes considering pulling out of the Rio Games. “Canceling the Olympics is not going to prevent that”.
