Friday, May 27, 2016

Doctors: Postpone or move Olympics due to Zika – CNN

“We make this call despite the widespread fatalism that the Rio 2016 Games are inevitable or ‘too big to fail,’ ” the writers said in the letter addressed to That Director-General Margaret Chan. “Our better concern is for global health. The Brazilian strain of Zika virus harms good health in means that science has actually not observed before.”

The letter shows a growing gap within the medical field on exactly what to do regarding the Games. On Thursday, Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Ailment Manage and Prevention, said, “There is no public good health demand to cancel or delay the Olympics.”

The CDC’s current recommendation is that pregnant women need to not travel to areas where the virus is spreading and that men along with the virus That have actually pregnant partners need to use condoms as quickly as having sex for the duration of the pregnancy.

“We’re working closely along with the USOC and Brazilian good health authorities, and will certainly update our suggestions if needed,” Frieden said in a statement Friday in response to the brand-new letter.

The That had no immediate reaction to Friday’s letter. The Worldwide Olympic Committee has actually said it has actually no plans to cancel or postpone the Games. What real threat does Zika pose to the Rio Olympics? History has an answerWhat real threat does Zika pose to the Rio Olympics? History has an answer

There have actually been calls in recent months for a delay or postponement of the Olympics, however exactly what makes Friday’s letter different is the scope and number of physicians, professors and bioethicists That signed it — from Japan to South Africa, Norway to the United States.

The officials said the Zika virus has actually “much more serious medical consequences compared to previously known” and has actually worsened in the Rio area despite widespread mosquito treatment programs.

“It is unethical to run the risk,” the letter said. “It is therefore vital that That conduct a fresh, evidence-based assessment of Zika and the Games, and its advice for travelers.”

The Zika virus has actually been shown to create microcephaly, a rare birth defect in which babies produce abnormally small heads and various other neurological problems.

The Olympics are set to start in merely over two months, operating from August 5 to August 21. much more compared to 500,000 people are expected to travel to Brazil from about the world.

Olympic-related travel represents merely 0.25% of the total 40 million travelers between the U.S. and countries where the Zika virus is circulating, according to the CDC.

Friday’s letter was written by four prominent professors and had the backing of much more compared to 100 well-known doctors and professors.

One of the letter’s co-authors, Lee Igel, took issue along with Frieden’s comments that there is “no public good health reason” to delay the Games.

“If you believe that a mega-sports event in the midst of a major virus outbreak in a host city dealing along with a turbulent economy, sitting on top of a turbulent political situation, sitting on top of a turbulent social condition, doesn’t pose a substantial public good health issue, then, sure, ‘On along with Games,’ ” Igel wrote in an e-mail to CNN.

Igel, the co-director of brand-new York University’s Sports & Society program, said his biggest fear need to the Games move forward is “exactly how are human and financial resources going to be managed effectively provided the honest truth of all of points happening on the ground in Rio.”

New York University bioethecist Art Caplan, one more co-author, told CNN that there should be a two-day summit of independent experts to analyze the risks posed by preserving the Games in Brazil on the latest time frame. Why men need to worry about Zika virusWhy men need to worry about Zika virus

“Put it online and let the whole globe watch,” Caplan said. “exactly what I don’t adore is as quickly as experts come out and say, ‘There’s not much demand to be worried. These Games need to go on.’

“exactly what I hope to know: exactly what are your arguments? exactly what risks are we talking about? If something goes wrong, who’s liable, and who’s going to take the blame?”Brazil has actually been at the epicenter of the Zika virus, with infectious Ailment experts descending on the hardest-hit areas to investigate why it’s spreading and why it has actually resulted in babies being born along with microcephaly. They are additionally looking in to the link between the virus and neurological disorders in fetuses, newborns, infants and adults. This entails attempting to quantify the risk for pregnant women and others.

Igel said he and the others That signed onto the letter will certainly keep on “ringing the bell” regarding public good health fears of the Games remaining in Brazil.

The U.S. Olympic Committee has actually told athletes to skip the Games if they’re concerned regarding Zika.

Last week, USA Swimming announced the relocation of its pre-Olympic training camp from Puerto Rico to Atlanta as a result of pertains to over the virus.

Dr. Ford Vox, a CNN contributor and physician That works in brain injury medicine along with the Shepherd Focus in Atlanta, said he signed the letter since he believes a delay or postponement is necessary.

“In my opinion, non-necessary travel to Zika endemic areas need to be deferred until the situation improves, and the Olympics are not essential,” he said.

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