Doctors are preparing for the threat of deadly infectious disease outbreaks at this summer's World Cup, which will be the largest ever with 48 teams and millions of fans. Medics have been training for potential dangers including Ebola, cholera, SARS, tuberculosis, measles, and other illnesses that could be spread by the influx of over seven million football fans.
Dr Vikramjit Mukherjee, chief of critical care at Bellevue Hospital in New York, said: 'The whole health care system in New York City will be on the alert for ALL of these events. We’re looking at it like a huge migration event.' He added that due to recent outbreaks of Ebola, Covid, and mpox, they feel an additional responsibility to stay prepared.
A major training exercise saw 500 health providers from New York and New Jersey gather for four days to practise emergency air transport with pretend patients suffering from infectious diseases. The 'patients' were flown from Toronto to LaGuardia Airport and then taken to Bellevue Hospital to test the use of portable bio-containment units. Bellevue spokesperson Noel Alicea said: 'That was the biggest drill we’ve done, because that involved local, state, federal, and international partners.'
Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey, the closest Level 1 trauma centre to MetLife Stadium, has also been preparing. Dr Gregory Sugalski, an Army veteran and chair of emergency medicine, said: 'We understand the concerns sports fans might have... But I want to say two words to them: “No fear”. Our staff has been training and drilling for two years for this event.'
The White House has created a FIFA task force led by Andrew Giuliani, son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, to ensure the tournament's safety. The tournament, jointly held in the US, Canada and Mexico, starts on June 10, with England based in Kansas City and playing group matches in Dallas, Boston, and New York.
