A summer COVID wave — and the accompanying fevers, coughs and general misery — continues to wash over the Americas and parts of Asia and Europe, including the Paris Olympics, offering the latest evidence that the coronavirus moves in ways distinct from other respiratory ailments. The World Health Organization said this week that the virus is increasing in at least 84 countries despite perceptions that the pathogen is a remnant of the past. Disease trackers sounded alarms that diminished testing and low vaccination rates could provide fertile terrain for more dangerous viral variants to take hold.
“COVID-19 is still very much with us,” Maria Van Kerkhove, a WHO epidemiologist, said at a news briefing Tuesday. At least 40 athletes have tested positive for the coronavirus and other respiratory illnesses, suggesting that the virus may not exhibit the same seasonal patterns as the common cold, flu and respiratory syncytial virus — widely known as RSV — which tend to strike during cold-weather months. The uptick sparked concerns about efforts to prevent the spread of the disease at the Olympics.
Testing and reporting vary by team, and the lack of streamlined efforts to minimize the spread highlights stark difference between the Paris Games and the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021. At the Tokyo Games, spectators were barred and people were required to take two coronavirus tests on two separate days within 96 hours of their flight to Japan. Upon arrival in Japan, further testi.