User:Freshlyscooped

WHO rejects concern to postpone Rio Olympics ahead of Zika Virus outbreak

The Olympic Games remain set to take place in Rio De Janeiro this August ahead of the Zika Virus threat after the World Health Organisation has dismissed concern to relocate or postpone the tournament, despite experts warning otherwise.

In wake of the Zika threat, 150 experts including a former White House science advisor rallied together to produce a signed and open letter to WHO, addressing their mutual concern that the incurable virus could manifest and therefore spread more rapidly in the Brazilian city as an influx of foreign visitors arrive.

Despite their distress, a spokesperson from the UN health body urged that the spread of the Zika Virus would not be prevented by moving or postponing the games in Rio, even after the country recently recorded to have high cases of the mosquito-borne disease.

According to a WHO statement, “Brazil is one of almost 60 countries and territories which to date report continuing transmission of Zika by mosquitoes. People continue to travel between these countries and territories for a variety of reasons. The best way to reduce risk of disease is to follow public health travel advice.” The statement also assured the public that the situation would continue to be monitored and that updates and necessary advice would be issued if circumstances were to change.

In light of the letter to WHO, the main concern of Bournemouth University’s reproductive health professor Edwin Van Teijlingen, who was one of the 150 academics involved, was that countries with poorer health systems would be able to facilitate in spreading the virus as people returned homed from Rio.

Despite having alarm about the letter itself, Van Teijlingen admitted that the main purpose of gaining a high number of supporting academic signatures was not in fact to get the games moved or postponed, but rather to raise awareness of the threat to the public health system that the Zika Virus currently poses.

As Brazil currently stands to be the second most affected city by the Zika Virus, the letter argued that it would be “unethical” and “irresponsible” to otherwise press on with the Rio games, as Australian experts believe that it positions an unimaginable risk.

Even with such heavy concern surrounding the virus and the Olympic event, former Olympic pentathlete Heather Fell told the BBC’s Today program that it was very common in her time for athletes to disregard medical advice from their doctors because of the passion, hard work and training that goes into Olympic level competing. The British star added that for anyone to decide not to travel to Brazil because of the importance placed on the games, a “world-changing” event would have to happen, and the Zika Virus is currently not that to hard working competitors.