How Jamaica's February 2016 Sports Calendar will help spread the Zika Virus

The Zika Virus outbreak in Brazil doesn’t mean the cancellation of the 31st staging of the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from August 5-21 2016.

Instead, athletes will have to decide if they want to go to Brazil and compete with the risk of contracting the Zika Virus as noted in the article “Zika Virus Outbreak: US Olympic Committee 'Will Not' Stop Athletes From Going to Brazil”, published Feb 8, 2016, by Gillian Mohney, ABC News.

Way too much pride is at stake for any athlete to miss the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Which means that the Zika Virus will be able to go global once everyone is infected. This is actually a good thing, as it’ll help Americans and the entire world build up immunity to the Zika Virus in the long run.

So despite the Zika Virus threat potentially going islandwide here in Jamaica as detailed in my blog article entitled “Why the Ministry of Health is covering up Local Transmission of Zika Virus in Jamaica”, the show must go on in the next 179 days.

This means more sports events leading up to the big event as noted in the article “Track And Field CALENDAR: February Events And Venues”, published Monday February 8, 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Jamaica's sports Calendar for the month of February 2016 - Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on the horizon

With that said, here's a list of the sporting events just for the month of February 2016:

1.      February 11

a)      Corporate Area Development Meet – UWI Usain Bolt Stadium

2.      February 13

a)      Camperdown Classic – National Stadium

b)      King of the Ring – Excelsior High School

c)      Milo Western Relays – Catherine Hall, Montego Bay

3.      February 14 

a)      Russia Winter - IAAF Indoor Meet – Moskva (CSKA), Russia (international event)

4.      February 16 - 17

a)      Central Championships GC Foster College

5.      February 17

a)      XL Galan - IAAF Indoor Meet – Stockholm (Globe Arena), Sweden (international event)

6.      February 19-20

a)      Council of Community Colleges of Jamaica Championships Catherine Hall, Montego Bay

7.      February 20

a)      Sainsbury's Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix – Glasgow (Emirates Arena), England (international event)

b)      SW Isaac Henry Invitational – National Stadium

c)      MTT/Dinthill Development Meet – Dinthill Technical High School, St Catherine

d)     Ben Francis Invitational – Jamalco Sports Club, Halse Hall

e)      GC Foster Classic – GC Foster College

8.      February 27

a)      McCook/Gibson Relay – National Stadium

b)      New Balance Indoor Grand Prix – Boston (Roxbury), Massachusetts, USA (international event)

9.      February 28

a)      1st NACAC 10km Road Race Cup – San Juan, Puerto Rico (international event)

Folks, mark your calendars as it's gonna be a very busy February 2016! With so many Jamaicans congregating at these huge social gatherings, the Zika Virus will definitely spread quickly thought Jamaica.

The Aedes Aegypti mosquito will have ample opportunity to bite and infect Jamaicans as predicted in my blog article entitled as detailed in my blog article entitled “Why the Ministry of Health is covering up Local Transmission of Zika Virus in Jamaica”.

So what can you do?

Jamaican Carnival of Sports - Be safe in Rio de Janeiro as the Zika Virus spreads

The symptoms of the Zika Virus will appear four (4) to seven (7) days after the initial infection. The symptoms will last for up to four (4) weeks or longer:

1.      Conjunctivitis

2.      Fever

3.      Headache

4.      Joint and muscle pain

5.      Rash

6.      Swelling of the lower limbs

7.      Weakness

The symptoms of the Zika Virus are not much different from the common cold.

 

Most people in Jamaica will probably have the disease and not even know it, unless you have a weakened immune systems if you're one of the following types of people:

1.      Babies

2.      Children suffering from an illness

3.      Elderly persons with other health problems

The following precautions work just as well:

1.      Wearing long-sleeved clothing or long pants

2.      Using DEET insect repellents

3.      Sleeping under mosquito nets

4.      Removing or covering container that can hold water

Just makes sure that you take the necessary precautions, especially spraying on some DEET Repellant or making your own repellant as detailed in my blog article entitled “How to make non-DEET Mosquito Repellant and learn to love Zika Virus”.  

 

Reducing the places that the Aedes Aegypti, the vector for the Zika Virus, can breed as shown in the CARPHA Yard Poster below, will greatly reduce the chances of getting the Zika Virus.

 

So enjoy the sports and be safe as the 31^st staging of the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil draws near.