Marrakech – The 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, touted as the first post-pandemic Games, are now grappling with a rise in COVID-19 cases among athletes, reflecting a broader global trend of increasing infections, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
As reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP), more than 40 athletes at the Paris Olympics have tested positive for COVID-19.
This uptick in cases has raised concerns about the measures in place to prevent the spread of the virus at the Games, which involve over 11,000 athletes from more than 200 nations and millions of spectators.
High-profile athletes affected include British swimmer Adam Peaty, who tested positive less than 24 hours after winning a silver medal in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke, according to Today.com.
Australian swimmer Lani Pallister also withdrew from the women’s 1,500-meter freestyle event due to the virus.
The Australian Olympic Committee stated that 16 of their athletes have tested positive for COVID-19.
Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention, highlighted the rising global COVID-19 test positivity rate, which is about 10% worldwide but over 20% in Europe.
“In recent months, regardless of the season, many countries have experienced surges of COVID-19, including at the Olympics where at least 40 athletes have tested positive,” she told reporters at a UN press briefing.
Unlike the postponed 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the Paris Games have no strict COVID-19 protocols or restrictions in place.
Despite the risks, French Health Minister Frédéric Valletoux assured that the Olympics will not become a superspreader event, stating, “There is no big risk of a cluster,” as reported by website Franceinfo.
However, with the uptick in cases, the Paris 2024 organizers say they are closely monitoring the situation in collaboration with health authorities.
The organizers have implemented measures such as providing private rooms for sick athletes, delivering meals, and requiring these athletes to be masked around others, according to the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
The rise in COVID-19 cases at the Olympics has brought the ongoing global challenge posed by the virus back to the forefront, with the WHO urging countries to improve their response systems and increase vaccination coverage, especially among high-risk groups like healthcare workers and the elderly.
The organization also recommended administering COVID-19 jabs alongside seasonal influenza vaccines to boost coverage.
