WHO say possibility of zika virus pandemic should not stop Games

[BoatyMcBoat]

News people seem to be shocked by this announcement.

I'm wondering what people here think.

My personal pov is that WHO is full of people with vested interests and is a waste of time, space and money.

[ClaudiaWankleman]

I don't think it should stop the Games. It's not like anyone is going to be forced to attend and put themselves at risk. If you want to go, or want to take the chance, then do and if you don't then don't.

[NaffOffMartha]

I don't think it should stop the Games necessarily, but it's not so simple as not attending if you don't want to take the risk. Attendees, at least a couple, will inevitably bring the virus back to their countries of residence and spread it that way.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

After the Ebola outbreak grew far far bigger than it should have done, I have little faith in WHO.

[MedSchoolRat]

I imagine the WHO is taking these 2 views:

Zika is going to spread everywhere quickly anyway. The microceph.-linked strain is on edge of Africa already & in Colombia, central America. Brazil is a huge country well integrated into world economy with many people coming & going. Zika is spreading quickly thru Americas to other big countries with many foreign connections (globalisation).

Cancelling Olympics would severely damage Brazil's economy just when they need all resources they can get to deal with the impacts of Zika on newborns.

[scaevola]

It's being pragmatic.

Zika will spread. It'll tip up in other countries at any time.

Yes, a big international gathering means a number of countries are (potentially) exposed by returning travellers bringing enough cases back that the local mozzies pick it up. But that could happen from any planeload.

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

but if the spread can be slowed then it gives more time for a vaccine to be created.

[ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe]

If it spreads uncontrollably the financial damage throughout the world will be greater than just the damage to Brazil.

Not to mention the consequences to pregnant women and babies, which, frankly, should come first.

It's all about profits.

[MumOnTheRunCatchingUp]

Are 'they' working on a vaccine?

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

yup

[lljkk]

the women at greatest risk from Zika are the ones already living in Brazil & Latin America.

[GlacindaTheTroll]

Currently, yes. But as the disease spreads that means hundreds and thousands and millions more women of child-bearing age living in infects areas.

The worry here is not whether the planeloads of Olympic travellers will export some cases to other countries. But whether they will export enough to spread it into local insects thus increasing the number of countries where it is present. WHO is taking the view that the additional Olympic travellers do not add significantly to the risk of spread that already exists with current levels of travel.