Do you think the Olympics will happen?

audie83 · Apr 14, 2021

Well it’s looking like the Games will go on. Some Olympic hopefuls, like Morgan Hurd, have already been fully vaccinated. Morgan got the Johnson & Johnson ‘one and done’ shot before it was put on pause. I wonder how many other hopefuls have been vaccinated?

Doug1233 · Apr 15, 2021

I hope the IOC can set up a global vax programme for countries who aren’t as far down the vaccine path. There will be many countries who won’t have mid-20s eligibility for having had both shots by the end of June.

irichluck21 · Apr 15, 2021

Even if they are not vaccinated, it is not like we haven’t seen athletic events take place with relatively no issues.
Did some athletes test positive and were not able to take part? Yes.
But there was not any crazy outbreaks or anything like that.

Plus NCAA women’s basketball tournament was all held in Texas, the most relaxed state in terms of Covid protocols and is mask free.

Europeans are taking place and all the countries with the exception of Spain are competing as far as I know, so the NOC at least for gymnastics are interested in competing internationally.

It’s been over a year and the world is making great progress overall, with a few countries still not doing so hot.

It is time to move on and move forward and I think the Olympics even if modified is a great way for the world to refocus on healing and hopefully working together again so that we don’t have another global pandemic for a long time!

JaJa · Apr 15, 2021

There may actually still be a possibility of cancellation according to some Japanese officials

Tokyo Olympics could still be canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic, Japanese officials say

It's also possible that fans may not be permitted to attend any events

www.cbssports.com

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/15/japanese-official-canceling-tokyo-olympics-an-option-if-covid-worsens.html

irichluck21 · Apr 15, 2021

MRR · Apr 15, 2021

This is all just noise, IMO. Not even clear what power (if any) these officials have to cancel.

The event has already been delayed with the IOC, international broadcasters, NOCs, sponsors, and athletes expecting it to happen. Vaccines are or will be available to most delegations. Nothing short of a catastrophic outbreak in Japan will stop the Games in their tracks, with billions of dollars already poured in.

irichluck21 · Apr 16, 2021

I think that with everything happening due to Covid, people around the World will be interested in watching a major event like the Olympics take place, even with modifications, and a lack of spectators, I do believe these Olympics will be well viewed. Just my opinion though.

JaJa · May 7, 2021

Pfizer, BioNTech to Donate Covid Vaccines to Tokyo Olympics Athletes

The offer, which includes national Olympic officials, is an attempt to boost the prospects of an event whose status remains unclear less than three months from the scheduled start.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/pfizer-biontech-covid-vaccines-tokyo-olympics-athletes-11620306432?mod=djemHL_t

Participants in this summer’s Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will have access to donated doses of Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE’s Covid-19 vaccines, the International Olympic Committee said Thursday, as the Games’ organizers attempt to boost the prospects of a giant global event whose status remains uncertain.

The vaccines are approved for use in less than half the nations around the world, however, and some public health advocates believe they are coming too late to make a significant difference.

National Olympic and Paralympic Committees around the world would work with their local governments to coordinate local distribution of the vaccines to “athletes, officials and Games stakeholders,” under a memorandum of understanding with the drug companies announced by the IOC.

Vaccinations are a key puzzle piece in determining a safe approach to staging an Olympics as the pandemic continues. So far, the IOC has said it is encouraging–but not mandating–vaccinations for athletes, coaches and others involved in the event.

About 11,000 Olympic and 4,400 Paralympic athletes from more than 200 countries are expected to compete in Tokyo. The Olympics start July 23, the Paralympics on Aug. 24.

Thursday’s surprise donation echoes an earlier move by the Chinese Olympic Committee to offer its vaccines to Games participants, the impact of which has been unclear.

The newest offer would have to be rolled out to dozens of countries around the world, each with different regulatory requirements, within weeks in order to take effect in time for the Games. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires two doses, typically taken several weeks apart, before protection is conferred two weeks after the second dose. The Olympics are 11 weeks away.

Pfizer and BioNTech have delivered Covid-19 vaccine doses to 91 countries or territories around the world, according to a Pfizer spokeswoman. The company has supply agreements or is in talks with about three dozen more countries and supranational organizations for the supply of its COVID-19 vaccine, she said.

The announcement was greeted skeptically by Lawrence Gostin, the director of the World Health Organization’s center on global health law.

“It’s too little, too late,” said Gostin, pointing to the need to have in place cold-chain storage for the vaccine and emergency use authorizations, as well as the time between doses and after for efficacy. “It’s a PR gesture and very little more. Its practical impact on the Games will be negligible.”

“It seemed to me that vaccination was always the best way to have a safe Olympics, so long as you could deal with the supply question,” he continued. “Too late for that now. It’s remarkable to me that the (International) Olympic Committee didn’t see this coming for many, many months, and they would wait this long to negotiate this with one manufacturer.”

The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 3 million people globally and more-contagious variants circulating have created unprecedented caseloads in recent weeks in countries such as India.

A large majority of the Japanese public has said in opinion polls that it wants the Games to be postponed again, as they were a year ago, or canceled altogether. Less than 2% of the Japanese population has been vaccinated, in part due to the time it has taken to approve Covid-19 vaccines for use in the country. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was the first to be approved by Japan, on Feb. 14.

Tokyo 2020 organizers have been issuing revised plans for how they aim to keep the Games safe for their participants. The plans revolve around requirements for social distancing, masking and ventilation that could prove nearly impossible to adhere to in a crowded environment in July.

Without a vaccine requirement, epidemiologists have said, the Games risk triggering an outbreak that then spreads among the Japanese population. Japan’s top Covid adviser said in late April, just as Tokyo and other major urban areas in Japan were put under a new state of emergency, that it was time to discuss the Games’ potential strain on the country’s medical system.

Participants in the Olympics number far more than the 11,000 athletes. They include volunteers who number about 80,000 and assist with nearly every aspect of Games operations, media members and others. The IOC’s announcement didn’t address the Tokyo Olympics volunteers.

3:38

Tokyo Olympics: How Japan Is Trying to Save the Games

Japan has pushed to save the Tokyo 2020 Olympics this summer, which are set to be the most expensive Games ever. WSJ’s Alastair Gale reports from Tokyo as officials respond to growing Covid-19 concerns from athletes and the public. Photo: Eugene Hoshiko/Associated Press

The London 2012 Olympics had about 300,000 credentialed people, according to Phil Sherwood, head of volunteering and workforce training for the event. Games participants come from more than 200 countries, raising questions about the potential impact on those countries when Tokyo participants return home.

At the IOC’s request, some countries began vaccinating their athletes months ago. But in some countries that said they would move forward with the request, there have already been delays. And the notion of young and healthy athletes receiving vaccines when they are still unavailable to millions of vulnerable people around the world has spurred controversy.

The IOC said in its Thursday announcement that “any additional doses delivered by Pfizer and BioNTech will not be taken out of existing programmes, but will be in addition to existing quotas and planned deliveries around the world.”

Doug1233 · May 19, 2021

Apparently they will be testing the athletes DAILY.

Can you imagine if Simone is completely asymptomatic but tests positive the morning of prelims.

Also, these rapid tests are NOT 100% accurate. What if the confirmatory test is negative but prelims have already happened?

This would be a shitshow of Sydney Vault proportions x 1000.

RAFIKI · May 20, 2021

I hope they use the LAMP (Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification) tests rather than lateral flow. The former takes 2-3 hours but is much more accurate than the lateral flow tests (but not as good as PCR). LAMP can also be done with a saliva sample so that will speed things up logistically.

I’ve joined the millions doing twice weekly LFT over the last month. It’s strongly encouraged for those going on to our Uni campus and since I’m also coaching again it seemed like a good idea.

Doug1233 · May 20, 2021

Yeah I’ve heard Boris banging on about lateral flow. Testing isn’t really done here in NYC. I’ve only ever had 2 tests, and an antibody test. Now I’ve had both Pfizers, I doubt I’ll ever have one again til boosters are a thing.

RAFIKI · May 20, 2021

Yay for you being fully vaccinated. I had my first dose at the weekend (Moderna). My second dose is scheduled for the gap between Tokyo AA and EF so hopefully I won’t have bad side effects from the second dose.

RedBirdie · May 20, 2021

I had an antibody test, but that’s it. I had a really bad case of the flu in February 2020, with many symptoms of covid. But of course in early Feb. 2020, no one was testing for covid here in the US, and I had a positive flu test. My doc decided I should have an antibody test in June 2020, but it came back negative. We were surprised.

I’ve had no other Covid tests.

I did get the J&J shot in April, so that was nice.

Doug1233 · May 20, 2021

I had a super bad cough for like 3 weeks in early Feb 2020. I had been through Melbourne, Sydney and JFK airports the week prior. I asked in the Drs office if it might be COVID and, having told them I’d never been to China, they quite literally laughed me out of the office.

Crazy that 6 weeks later we were on lockdown.

makam · May 20, 2021

I’ve only had one test. It was whatever the rapid one is because they had my results in about 15 minutes. I tested positive but never had any symptoms. My friend who I went grocery shopping with (so we were in a car together for 1.5 hours total) also got it and she had pretty a terrible range of symptoms. I had only gotten my first vaccine shot 9 days before testing positive.

I know if I were Simone (or any of the gymnasts/athletes), if I tested positive, I’d demand an immediate retest with the more precise version and be allowed to warmup or whatever masked up/separated. Heck, outside works too. Unlikely, but i figured if we are wishing (and while they are still putting pressure to have them cancelled…)

ucrgirl · May 20, 2021

I hope that if a US athlete had a positive test the USOC would demand a re-test or two. (Since we are wishing/hoping.)

(I’m assuming the other NOCs would do the same for their athletes although some federations will have less power.)

Dex · May 25, 2021

I guess every federation will take a whole bunch of tests anyway, I know the Netherlands does.

irichluck21 · May 25, 2021

It will be interesting to see what happens, because now the latest data suggests that if you are vaccinated you do not need to be Covid tested.

CDC says most fully vaccinated Americans can skip coronavirus testing

Federal health officials’ new, more relaxed recommendations on masks have all but eclipsed another major change in guidance from the government: Fully vaccinated Americans can largely skip getting …

ktla.com

JDB · May 25, 2021

I kinda feel bad about how Tokyo’s begrudgingly holding the games. The Olympics always attracts a NIMBY response. But this year’s Olympics uniquely imposes on residents. There’s more on the line than just sports. Yuriko Koike wants to turn Tokyo into a global city. The Olympics is part of its growth strategy.