Will the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games actually be held?: Various feelings of people in Japan and the world based on the current state of COVID-19 -from social and clinical medicine, sociology, and health management-Re: Japan should aim to eliminate covid -19
Will the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games actually be held?: Various feelings of people in Japan and the world based on the current state of COVID-19 -from social and clinical medicine, sociology, and health management-Re: Japan should aim to eliminate covid -19
Dear Editor
We read a BMJ article entitled “Japan should aim to eliminate covid -19” by Kazuki Shimizu et al [1]. The article described the actual state from various aspects and government’s response regarding COVID-19 in Japan, and the authors worried about Japan's current direction [1]. They also proposed reconsideration of overall COVID-19 pandemic strategy in Japan [1].
We think that one of those concerns around the world includes what will be held of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games were initially scheduled to be held from July 24 to August 9, 2020. Nevertheless, they were postponed to next year July 23 to August 8, due to the global outbreak of COVID-19. As of February 10, 2021, a total of around 107 million people had COVID-19 and 2.3 million had died of the disease all over the world [2]. In Japan, a total of more than 410,000 people have been infected and 6,700 have died; in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, more than 100,000 people have been infected [3,4]. Recently, cases of COVID-19 have continued in Japan and elsewhere in the world.
Can the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games be held? “In light of the current state of COVID-19 around the world, it is difficult to answer the question. If it is possible to hold the Olympic Games in Tokyo, it is extremely difficult to determine whether or not they can be held as usual. If the Olympic Games are to be held, what are specific steps to prevent infection and protect athlete health during the holding period? Should they have number restriction of spectators in each venue? What will be the criteria for the restriction? Can they have spectators anyway? What will the criteria be for spectators from around the world to enter Japan? Will they be allowed to enter the country or not?” Various aspects to answer those questions and “physical and mental conditions for athletes” should be meticulously considered into the decision on whether to hold the Olympic Games. Whenever the final decision on whether to hold the Olympic Games is made, opinions from personnel and organizations in numerous fields need to be compiled.
The decision on whether to hold the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games will obviously impact Japan and the rest of the world in the short term and also have large medium and long-term impacts. Although the decision itself is important, the aftereffects of the decision also need to be carefully considered.
(1) Kochi University, 2-5-1 Akebono-cho, Kochi-shi, Kochi 780-8520, Japan
Email: ke-inoue@med.shimane-u.ac.jp
(2) Shimane University, 89-1, Enya-cho, Izumo, Shimane 693-8501, Japan
Email: hashioka@f2.dion.ne.jp (SH)
(3) International University of Health and Welfare, School of Medicine, Japan
(4) Gunma University, Japan
(5) Hiroshima University, Japan
Rapid Response:
Will the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games actually be held?: Various feelings of people in Japan and the world based on the current state of COVID-19 -from social and clinical medicine, sociology, and health management-Re: Japan should aim to eliminate covid -19
Dear Editor
We read a BMJ article entitled “Japan should aim to eliminate covid -19” by Kazuki Shimizu et al [1]. The article described the actual state from various aspects and government’s response regarding COVID-19 in Japan, and the authors worried about Japan's current direction [1]. They also proposed reconsideration of overall COVID-19 pandemic strategy in Japan [1].
We think that one of those concerns around the world includes what will be held of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games were initially scheduled to be held from July 24 to August 9, 2020. Nevertheless, they were postponed to next year July 23 to August 8, due to the global outbreak of COVID-19. As of February 10, 2021, a total of around 107 million people had COVID-19 and 2.3 million had died of the disease all over the world [2]. In Japan, a total of more than 410,000 people have been infected and 6,700 have died; in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, more than 100,000 people have been infected [3,4]. Recently, cases of COVID-19 have continued in Japan and elsewhere in the world.
Can the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games be held? “In light of the current state of COVID-19 around the world, it is difficult to answer the question. If it is possible to hold the Olympic Games in Tokyo, it is extremely difficult to determine whether or not they can be held as usual. If the Olympic Games are to be held, what are specific steps to prevent infection and protect athlete health during the holding period? Should they have number restriction of spectators in each venue? What will be the criteria for the restriction? Can they have spectators anyway? What will the criteria be for spectators from around the world to enter Japan? Will they be allowed to enter the country or not?” Various aspects to answer those questions and “physical and mental conditions for athletes” should be meticulously considered into the decision on whether to hold the Olympic Games. Whenever the final decision on whether to hold the Olympic Games is made, opinions from personnel and organizations in numerous fields need to be compiled.
The decision on whether to hold the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games will obviously impact Japan and the rest of the world in the short term and also have large medium and long-term impacts. Although the decision itself is important, the aftereffects of the decision also need to be carefully considered.
Ken Inoue (1), Sadayuki Hashioka (2), Yoshiyuki Ohira (3), Yuri Murayama (4), Haruo Takeshita (2), Noriyuki Kawano (5)
(1) Kochi University, 2-5-1 Akebono-cho, Kochi-shi, Kochi 780-8520, Japan
Email: ke-inoue@med.shimane-u.ac.jp
(2) Shimane University, 89-1, Enya-cho, Izumo, Shimane 693-8501, Japan
Email: hashioka@f2.dion.ne.jp (SH)
(3) International University of Health and Welfare, School of Medicine, Japan
(4) Gunma University, Japan
(5) Hiroshima University, Japan
References
1. Shimizu K, Tokuda Y, Shibuya K. Japan should aim to eliminate covid -19. BMJ 372: n294, 2021
2. NHK. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special/coronavirus/world-data/. Accessed 11 Feb 2021
3. NHK. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special/coronavirus/data-all/. Accessed 11 Feb 2021
4. NHK. https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/special/coronavirus/data/. Accessed 11 Feb 2021
Competing interests: No competing interests