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Concerns for global spread of Zika mean Rio de Janeiro Olympics must not proceed

harvardpublichealthreview.org

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Re: Concerns for global spread of Zika mean Rio de Janeiro Olympics must not proceed

#91

Post by wyldfire »

cjbprime wrote: post #82
wyldfire wrote: post #65

Ever since the news of Zika causing microcephaly came up I have been wondering whether it's a net benefit to humanity/homeostasis if we were to exterminate Aedis Aegypti. Can Zika spread among humans already? It would seem like a huge risk to the future of humanity if this infectious disease interferes with reproduction. What's the worst-case scenario for letting Aedis Aegypti live? Is it better than the worst-case s…

I think the concern would be dominated by the side-effects of the method we use to perform the total extermination, rather than the side-effects of Aedis Aegypti being extinct.

I vaguely recall hearing about an effort to release sterilized males that would effectively reduce the population local to where they're released. That seemed to be a very safe way to change the environment. The only difference might be the scale by which we could execute that method.

Re: Concerns for global spread of Zika mean Rio de Janeiro Olympics must not proceed

#92

Post by mixmastamyk »

DannyBee wrote: post #33

Serious question: Has anyone seen an article or study about the microcephaly effects on pregnancy where the main population studied was not in brazil? I have yet to see a study that links it to microcephaly for anyone who has not been in brazil for a long time. I realize the mosquito isn't common, but brazil also does things like: "secretly spray tons and tons of pesticide on their populus", etc. Given these are all…

Article said the virulent strain came from French Polynesia (aka Tahiti).

Re: Concerns for global spread of Zika mean Rio de Janeiro Olympics must not proceed

#93

Post by saiya-jin »

shaggy wrote: post #74
ChicagoBoy11 wrote: post #45

This article is idiotic if the main reason for cancelling the game is actually some "global spread" of Zika. Rio is not some city in the middle of nowhere from which no flights are coming in and out of, and now suddenly this massive international influx of visitors will come in -- it is a world-class city, a financial hub of the largest country in the continent. If we take London 2012 as a benchmark, estimates there…

Yes, Rio sees many visitors regularly. What Rio does not see is an influx of visitors from nearly every country on earth. It's that spread that is the problem. The financial impact on hosting the games is already negative for host cities. That's no longer debatable without ignoring fact. Your argument that all the experts studying the Zika epidemic and drawing the ever more cemented conclusion that this is a very ser…

sorry but no, Rio sees visitors from most countries out there. it's not an even spread like it would be in case of olympics, but not that far from it.

Re: Concerns for global spread of Zika mean Rio de Janeiro Olympics must not proceed

#94

Post by soneca »

shaggy wrote: post #74
ChicagoBoy11 wrote: post #45

This article is idiotic if the main reason for cancelling the game is actually some "global spread" of Zika. Rio is not some city in the middle of nowhere from which no flights are coming in and out of, and now suddenly this massive international influx of visitors will come in -- it is a world-class city, a financial hub of the largest country in the continent. If we take London 2012 as a benchmark, estimates there…

Yes, Rio sees many visitors regularly. What Rio does not see is an influx of visitors from nearly every country on earth. It's that spread that is the problem. The financial impact on hosting the games is already negative for host cities. That's no longer debatable without ignoring fact. Your argument that all the experts studying the Zika epidemic and drawing the ever more cemented conclusion that this is a very ser…

Actually RJ does have an influx of visitors from nearly every country on earth.

source (see page 97): http://www.dadosefatos.turismo.gov.br/export/sites/default/d...

Re: Concerns for global spread of Zika mean Rio de Janeiro Olympics must not proceed

#95

Post by mootothemax »

blowski wrote: post #34
fhsdfgdv wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If by dodgy you mean areas where people regularly steal and harass, then no, we don't.

OK, I'll rephrase to "a lot of other cities in the world" - London, New York, Paris, Warsaw, Berlin, Rome. All of them have their fair share of dodgy places that you should approach cautiously. What city do you live in, by the way? The only city I know of deservedly with this reputation is Singapore.

> Warsaw

I'm deliberately singling this one out as a point of pride:

Where in Warsaw can't you walk down the street reading your iPhone?

I'll concede pickpocketing can be an issue on buses, and racism is very much an issue in present times. Issues with muggings, though?

Re: Concerns for global spread of Zika mean Rio de Janeiro Olympics must not proceed

#96

Post by sago »

shaggy wrote: post #62
bhouston wrote: post #3

I was wondering about whether this would happen. I am not enough of an expert to make a call on this either way of course, but if experts decided this was the right call would it even be possible to cancel/reschedule the Olympics? Imagine the financial impact on Rio.

It's pretty well known and well documented at this point that the host cities for olympic games see no financial benefit at all, and in fact they lose money. Most recently, look at the Sochi games, which cost $50+bn. There is a 0% chance that the games brought in that much money. The entities making money are the IOC and the broadcast companies, NBC being the primary. It would be sad if the games were cancelled, but…

But that is nonsense for Rio, which has already spent its capital outlays for the games. Overall Rio may and probably will lose money, but if the games were cancelled, it could be financially catastrophic.

You're right that it isn't a question that should be determined by finances, but that's a different issue.

Re: Concerns for global spread of Zika mean Rio de Janeiro Olympics must not proceed

#97

Post by rorykoehler »

deanCommie wrote: post #23
fhsdfgdv wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

talking on an iPhone, by yourself, especially late at night, then you're asking for trouble. Please don't apply your standards other cities of the world. What you described does not happen in my (capital) city. In fact if you drop something, you will likely get it back.

He said in a dodgy area . Pray tell what is this magical city you live in that does not have a single dodgy area.

Yet to find a dodgy area in Singapore. I think they don't exist.

Re: Concerns for global spread of Zika mean Rio de Janeiro Olympics must not proceed

#98

Post by ceejayoz »

ramon wrote: post #67
mhurron wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I live a longtime in Rio and never had Dengue, Zika Don't be so sure about that. Most people who contract both of those don't know that they have them as the symptoms are so mild they are mistaken for a simple cold. But no, it's just racists pretending that diseases can spread. You can relax anyway, there is too much money to be made by those running the games in Rio to have it canceled. No one actually cares if pe…

I'm not a poor person who doesn't access to the hospitals. I have access to private hospitals because I have the best paid health plan, I didn't get Zika, Dengue.. etc. Because I have anti-mosquito screens in my apartment, I protect myself..

You presumably open your door at times, or even go outside.

Access to hospitals is irrelevant. @mhurron pointed out these diseases can often present as a mild cold, for which you'd never go to the hospital. You may well have gotten them without really noticing.

Re: Concerns for global spread of Zika mean Rio de Janeiro Olympics must not proceed

#99

Post by jbigelow76 »

shaggy wrote: post #62
bhouston wrote: post #3

I was wondering about whether this would happen. I am not enough of an expert to make a call on this either way of course, but if experts decided this was the right call would it even be possible to cancel/reschedule the Olympics? Imagine the financial impact on Rio.

It's pretty well known and well documented at this point that the host cities for olympic games see no financial benefit at all, and in fact they lose money. Most recently, look at the Sochi games, which cost $50+bn. There is a 0% chance that the games brought in that much money. The entities making money are the IOC and the broadcast companies, NBC being the primary. It would be sad if the games were cancelled, but…

    >It would be sad if the games were cancelled, but at the risk of a global pandemic it's hard to see how people can argue in favor anymore.
The corruption, bribery, and kick backs that go into selecting host cities means that short of a host city being wiped off the map by a nuclear bomb, the games will go on.

Re: Concerns for global spread of Zika mean Rio de Janeiro Olympics must not proceed

#100

Post by snowwindwaves »

burke wrote: post #58
deanCommie wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He said in a dodgy area . Pray tell what is this magical city you live in that does not have a single dodgy area.

I can't think of a place in Ottawa that I wouldn't feel comfortable wandering around late at night with my phone out.

I grew up in Ottawa and was going to try and name a place but couldn't think of one either.
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