# Public health expert advocates that the Rio Olympics be cancelled due to Zika virus **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 14, 2016, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737 "2016-05-14T00:54:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737/1 "2016-05-14T00:54:50Z")
> **[Public Health Professor: Because Of Zika, Rio Olympics 'Must Not Proceed'](https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/05/11/477651279/public-health-professor-because-of-zika-rio-olympics-must-not-proceed)** > > If half a million tourists go to Rio, there is a risk one could catch Zika, return home and seed a new outbreak, says public health professor Amir Attaran. Between this, all the pollution, lack of infrastructure, and the fact that Brazil is a political powder keg, I can’t say I disagree with him. I personally think the Olympics should be discontinued anyway; they are a concept whose time has come and long since gone. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737/2 "2016-05-14T16:57:20Z")
but…but…but Coca-Cola? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737/3 "2016-05-14T17:23:13Z")
Best case scenario, this ends the trend of awarding the Olympics/World Cup/etc. to impoverished Third World countries whose leaders are willing to bribe the committee and spend billions on arenas that will only be used once. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737/4 "2016-05-14T18:32:58Z")
Like awarding the World Cup to Doha, Qatar, where the temperature averages over 100 degrees? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737/5 "2016-05-14T18:55:18Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > but…but…but > > Coca-Cola? “You’re gonna have to answer to the Coca-Cola company.” – Col. Bat Guano. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![CerebrAl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@CerebrAl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CerebrAl)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737/6 "2016-05-14T18:57:06Z")
There is no way they cancel…too much money involved at this point. Basil has invested hundreds of millions. If I were considering going as a competitor or spectator, I would be more concerned with the pesticides I see them spraying everywhere, and of course… terrorists. Time will tell if this cancellation is/was a good idea. There certainly have been enough “red flags” to consider cancellation. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737/7 "2016-05-14T20:26:06Z")
> [@CerebrAl](#): > > There is no way they cancel…too much money involved at this point. Basil has invested hundreds of millions. I am now envisioning this as a _Fawlty Towers_-esque catastrophe with Andrew Sachs and Connie Booth running around trying to conceal Zika victims while John Cleese assures attendees that everything is just fine and there is abolutely almost no chance of a global pandemic that certainly won’t kill millions, scratch that, thousands of people, and it is all under control so just have a complementary beer for the low price of only ten US dollars. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737/8 "2016-05-14T20:58:19Z")
They needn’t cancel the Olympics – just move it. There are lots of places that have held them before, and have most of the facilities available. Go back to London, for example. Anywhere you moved it, there’d need be to be some rushed work to arrange lodging, transportation, schedules, etc. But it would be doable, especially for somewhere that’s held an Olympics before. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737/9 "2016-05-14T21:03:45Z")
I wonder if the Brazilian organizing committee bought insurance against something like this. (It would have to be a giant policy, like for $20-30 billion but there are companies that will sell that sort of thing.) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737/10 "2016-05-14T21:09:28Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > I am now envisioning this as a _Fawlty Towers_-esque catastrophe with Andrew Sachs and Connie Booth running around trying to conceal Zika victims while John Cleese assures attendees that everything is just fine and there is abolutely almost no chance of a global pandemic that certainly won’t kill millions, scratch that, thousands of people, and it is all under control so just have a complementary beer for the low price of only ten US dollars. > > Stranger “Spiffing, just spiffing. 2 down, 214,536 to go.” ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737/11 "2016-05-14T21:36:07Z")
I don’t see any way they’d cancel the Olympics on the urging of one, or a hundred public health experts. Too much money and national prestige is at stake. Maybe an enormous spraying program will be put into effect, and both athletes and spectators can wear mosquito-impregnable body suits and respirators (to deal with the chemical burden). And though the Russians are incredibly deserving of being banned from the Olympics, that isn’t going to happen either. As to the future of the Olympics, eliminate national teams, have everyone participate as individuals and give the games a permanent home. Greece for summer sports, and Qatar for the winter games. :o ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737/12 "2016-05-14T22:21:50Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I wonder if the Brazilian organizing committee bought insurance against something like this. (It would have to be a giant policy, like for $20-30 billion but there are companies that will sell that sort of thing.) Doesn’t Lloyd’s of London insure just about anything if people are willing to pay for it? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737/13 "2016-05-14T22:47:21Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > They needn’t cancel the Olympics – just move it. There are lots of places that have held them before, and have most of the facilities available. Go back to London, for example. > > Anywhere you moved it, there’d need be to be some rushed work to arrange lodging, transportation, schedules, etc. But it would be doable, especially for somewhere that’s held an Olympics before. I’m guessing most places that have hosted before are like “no, that’s ok, we’ll take a pass this time. We uh…have to wash our hair that day.” ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737/14 "2016-05-14T22:49:03Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Best case scenario, this ends the trend of awarding the Olympics/World Cup/etc. to impoverished Third World countries WTF are some of you yammering about? Brazil is neither impoverished nor third world. I’ve been there a couple of times, in fact I was just there a few months ago. It is a modern country with an up to date infrastructure. I’ve been in several of their large cities and there were far less pan handlers than there are in the U.S… We walked through the city streets of Rio @ midnight and had no problems. Almost all countries have rich people, poor people, and middle class people. Brazil is no exception, but it certainly is not a third world country. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737/15 "2016-05-15T01:13:08Z")
I doubt anything short of a Third World War, global pandemic, or zombie apocalypse will convince the IOC to call off the games. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737/16 "2016-05-15T01:23:00Z")
But that’s just it; Zika has the potential to become a pandemic. And could the Olympics actually help it to spread further? I remember hearing a theory that the Parade of Tall Ships in New York for the Bicentennial in 1976 was one way that HIV/AIDS spread further, with sailors from around the world in one place. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737/17 "2016-05-15T01:47:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Zika has the potential to become a pandemic. Most infected people don’t even have any symptoms. It’s really only a problem if you’re infected while pregnant. In fact, it might be a good idea to get infected several months to years before getting pregnant. I presume you’ll have immunity to it and won’t be able to be re-infected later. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737/18 "2016-05-15T01:51:42Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > I am now envisioning this as a _Fawlty Towers_-esque catastrophe with Andrew Sachs and Connie Booth running around trying to conceal Zika victims while John Cleese assures attendees that everything is just fine and there is abolutely almost no chance of a global pandemic that certainly won’t kill millions, scratch that, thousands of people, and it is all under control so just have a complementary beer for the low price of only ten US dollars. > > Stranger Without mentioning the war, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737/19 "2016-05-15T02:56:32Z")
They can hold all these Olympics that never get moved in the same place where they hold all these brokered conventions that never happen. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2016, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737/20 "2016-05-15T03:25:38Z")
Um, what? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-health-expert-advocates-that-the-rio-olympics-be-cancelled-due-to-zika-virus/754737.md?page=2)