Many Brazilians, however, argue that they are accustomed to the vagaries of an economy sawtooth, the nearly endless stream of corruption scandals and epidemics of dengue, another virus transmitted by the Aedes aegypti, the same mosquito that Zika spreads. He says the symptoms of Zika virus are usually fairly mild and can include joint pain, fever, a rash and red eyes, and the illness goes away in a few days. The NZOC had been in regular contact with New Zealand’s Department of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health regarding the outbreak of the virus, which has been linked to severe birth defects in Brazil.
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There are exactly six months today until the Olympic Games and Team GB are ramping up preparations as they look to build on London 2012 which saw them win an incredible nine rowing medals. “We’re going to finish this one out”, Trotter said.
Pandit, a former shooter, now coaches his dentist wife Heena Sidhu, who last month earned her Rio place in air pistol shooting.
Despite warnings about the need to cover up and to spray mosquito repellent, however, argue that several things will work as usual, with just a pinch of glitter and feathers bouquets. “But I find myself thinking, ‘What the hell’s the difference?'”
Danish sailor Anne Marie Rindom is also unperturbed.
Jaques Wagner, the chief of staff for Brazil president Dilma Rousseff, said Monday there was no risk to athletes unless “they are pregnant women”. “That’s how much I’ve thought about it. I’m not anxious about it”. Women trying to get pregnant are also being told to take precautions.
“However, if you’re not pregnant I don’t think I would avoid going to Carnival or the Olympics for any reason whatsoever”, he says.
A saleswoman at Souad Modas, a costume store, said times were tough.
“He is now living in England but my wife still has family in Brazil and it would be very special for me to compete there feeling like a second home Olympics”.
More than 20 countries in the Americas have been affected by the Zika virus outbreak.
“The situation has been hard for four or five years, but this year was worse because everyone is in crisis and prices are rising”, the administrator of the Uniao da Ilha samba school, Marcio Andre Mehry de Souza, said. The World Health Organization is now calling the mosquito-borne illness a public health emergency.
“The guidance note reaffirms the facts about Zika and focuses on mosquito bite prevention strategies, which are key. We can’t say we won’t have any cases (during the games) but we see this as a minimal risk”.
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Researchers in northeastern Pernambuco state reported on Wednesday that they found Zika antibodies in 12 babies with microcephaly.
