These Athletes are Saying NO to Rio

The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games are just about upon us, beginning Friday, August 5th and wrapping up on Sunday, August 21. Sadly, the Olympics has been shrouded in controversy for a long time now, first due to the spread of the Zika virus and later due to other issues of safety. Now more athletes are boldly stating they are withdrawing from the Olympics due to the threat of Zika.

The Zika Basics

The Zika virus is currently circulating in more than 45 countries and territories. As a mosquito-borne disease, this virus is particularly dangerous because an infection during pregnancy often leads to a birth defect called microcephaly, in which an infant is born with brain damage and an abnormally small head. The virus can be tricky, because the majority of infections are mild and go unnoticed by those affected. The symptoms that do present themselves in 20 percent of cases include joint pain, red eyes, rash, and fever.

Health officials have now officially warned pregnant women and those planning to get pregnant to avoid travel in the 45 countries impacted by Zika, including Rio de Janeiro. But it’s even more complicated than that. Any person who contracts Zika is capable of spreading the virus during sexual activity, and the infection can live in sperm for more than 90 days. It is for this reason that health officials have recommended protected sex for a six month period after returning from a Zika-affected country.

The threat of Zika is so serious that some Olympic participants have frozen their sperm to guarantee a healthy pregnancy upon their return from Rio. And unlike many of the infections and diseases in the world, Zika does not have a treatment or a vaccine.

Olympians Make a Stand

Based on the information above, some Olympians feel that the threat of Zika is not worth the victory of a silver or gold medal. Romania’s world number five tennis player Simona Halep, and Canada’s world number seven tennis player Milos Raonic have both opted out of the Olympics specifically for dangers related to the Zika virus. As Halep explained, “I truly regret these circumstances. Family is much too important for me and I can’t risk not being able to have one of my own after my career in tennis is over.” Golf players have also pulled out due to the Zika virus, placing a cloud over golf’s return to the Olympics for the first time in 112 years. Only time will tell just how much the Olympics will suffer at the hands of Zika.