It’s the opening day of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympic Games, and while there are still those who’ve managed to maintain their excitement about the gathering of the world’s athletes, you’d be hard pressed not to notice that this Olympic Games has seen its fair share of drama. From concerns over the health of the athletes to an entire team disqualification for the Russians, there’s been drama. First and foremost, however, have been the concerns over the spreading Zika virus. Here are a few tips to stay safe.
First and foremost, the highest probability of danger from Zika is posed to pregnant women, who should — in all honesty — just consider avoiding the area.
For everyone else, however, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy the Rio Games even with the hovering threat of Zika. Practice safe sex (which is always a good idea), wear lots of mosquito repellant, and — if you can stand the heat — simply wear long sleeves and pants. Remember, Zika is primarily transferred through mosquito bites, so you eliminate a large percentage of the danger simply by protecting yourself from those pests.
It’s too bad that the threats hovering over the Rio Games have cast a pall over the entire proceedings. Ticket sales are lagging, and hotel reservations have fallen short of expectations. The Olympic spirit is still alive and well in Rio, it’s just that most of the world would prefer to experience it via satellite.
