A NUMBER of athletes competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics have tested positive for Covid-19, with British swimmer Adam Peaty testing positive after five Australian water polo athletes also complained of similar symptoms.
The rise in cases raises questions about what steps are being taken to stop the spread of Covid-19 at the Paris Olympics.
This year’s Olympics are considered the first post-pandemic Olympics. Unlike the postponed 2020 Games in Tokyo and the 2022 Games in Beijing, the world’s biggest sporting event will not have strict Covid-19 protocols or restrictions in Paris.
However, Covid-19 is still spreading around the world. The United States is facing a summer surge, and the virus is also spreading in Europe.
British swimmer Adam Peaty tested positive for Covid-19 on July 29, less than 24 hours after winning silver in the men’s 100m breaststroke final.
“Adam started feeling unwell on Saturday, before his final. In the hours after the final, his symptoms worsened and he was tested for Covid on Monday morning. He tested positive at that time,” a British Olympic Association (BOA) spokesperson said.
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Peaty is on the mend and hopes to compete in the team relay this weekend.
“As with any illness, the situation is being handled appropriately, with all normal precautions taken to safeguard the health of the wider delegation,” the spokesperson added.
The swimmer’s positive test comes less than a week after five athletes on Australia’s women’s water polo team tested positive for Covid-19.
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“We’re treating Covid like the flu. This isn’t Tokyo,” said Anna Meares, chef de mission for Australia’s Olympic team.
Meares said Australian athletes who tested positive were wearing masks, isolating themselves from other team members outside of training and avoiding areas such as the gym.
The six confirmed cases of Covid-19 at the Paris Olympics are not considered to meet the threshold to constitute an outbreak, a medical contributor said. NBC News, Dr. Kavita Patel, who has a background in public health and has worked on Covid-19 and other pandemics, told Today.com.
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He said that, under existing guidelines, 5% of Olympic athletes contracting Covid in a seven-day period would be considered an outbreak.
Are there strict protocols at the Paris Olympics?
There are no mandatory Covid precautions at the Paris Olympics, French newspaper Le Monde reported last week.
“For now, there is nothing official implemented by the organizing committee,” said Andre-Pierre Goubert, director of the Center for Olympic Sport and High Performance at the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF).
“We have recommended that delegations use their own medical teams to test their athletes before they arrive at the Olympic Village.”
Asked by Today.com Regarding the steps the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is taking to prevent the spread of Covid-19, an IOC spokesperson said the health and safety of athletes is the top priority for the IOC and Paris 2024. “Paris 2024 follows good practice in managing infectious diseases at the Olympic Games.”
French Health Minister Frederic Valletoux said last week that Covid cases in France had not spiked despite an increase in tourism due to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The French government will remain vigilant especially during the 2024 Paris Olympics, even in conditions where there is no increase in Covid cases.
“Covid is still with us at a low level but we are not in a period of strong increases or a resurgence of the virus,” Health Minister Frederic Valletoux said. (Today.com/Ant/P-5)
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