Pyeongchang Games officials are scrambling to try and fill necessary security positions ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony after 32 confirmed cases of Norovirus led to 1,200 security workers being pulled out of work for fear of an outbreak spreading through the games.
1,200 security officials removed from 2018 Winter Olympics after Norovirus outbreak
The Korean military has been called in to assist.
Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
The organizing committee and the Korean CDC are so afraid of a potential outbreak that they are coordinating to properly clean and disinfect venues and ensure nobody returns to work until the risk has passed. The dramatic withdrawal of workers has led to the Korean military being called in to fill the void, sending 900 personnel to fill critical roles — largely centered on the checking of credentials and baggage screening.
Norovirus is a common form of gastroenteritis that affects 685 million people worldwide. Its symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea — as well as severe dehydration being a byproduct of the virus. While the illness itself typically lasts only one to three days, the virus has the ability to live without a host for extreme amounts of time, including up to months in still water and up to 12 days on hard surfaces.
Media members have reported having their hands sprayed upon arrival to Pyeongchang, and the efforts between the Olympic Organizing Committee and the Korean CDC would explain this. A widespread Norovirus outbreak could severely disrupt the games, and if it spread to the Olympic Village there’s no telling how much it could hurt competition.
The quick and serious approach officials are having and the lengths they’re going to in order to separate potentially infected individuals should ensure there are no problems when the Winter Olympics begin on Friday.
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