IOC medical chief seeks to allay Zika fears

Seeking to allay fears over the Zika outbreak, the IOC medical director said "everything that can be done is being done" to combat the virus in Brazil and provide safe conditions for athletes at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Dr Richard Budgett said there are no health warnings against traveling to Brazil, except for pregnant women, and stressed that no consideration has been given to postponing or canceling the games.
"Our priority is to protect the health of the athletes,' Budgett said today. "The IOC absolutely is not complacent. We do take this very seriously. ... Everything is being done to contain and reduce this problem in the lead-up to the games."

Brazil is the epicenter of the Zika outbreak, raising concerns about the potential risks of infection during the Aug. 5-21 Olympics. The World Health Organization has declared Zika a global health emergency.
Health officials are investigating whether there is a link between Zika infections in pregnant women and cases of microcephaly, a rare condition in which infants are born with abnormally small heads. Pregnant women have been advised against traveling to infected areas.
As the virus has spread across Latin America, anxiety has grown among athletes and Olympic teams. Budgett said the situation should be kept "in perspective."

"Everything that can be done is being done," he said by telephone from Lillehammer, Norway, a day ahead of the opening of the Winter Youth Olympics. "We can give the reassurance that authorities in Brazil are taking it extremely seriously.

"Concern and worry is appropriate, but there is no restriction on travel," Budgett added. "People need to take measures to avoid being bitten and be sensible. There is no recommendation from health authorities to change travel plans."
Budgett said the possibility of calling off the games has never been on the table.
"Absolutely not," he said. "No one from the public authorities or World Health Organization or government ministry are actually saying we should even consider canceling the games."
Budgett reiterated the position that the threat from mosquitoes should be reduced during the Olympics because the games will be during Brazil's winter, when temperatures are colder and drier.

Brazilian organizers plan to send a letter to all national Olympic committees and international sports federations to explain how they are dealing with the virus, Budgett said.