Jump to content

What If China Has Another Sars Outbreak?


Recommended Posts

I was just thinking. What if China experiences another SARS outbreak or another type of harmful or deadly illness that can spread easily through individuals. Do you think the Chinese government will hide and cover it up so they can host their Olympics? In 2003, the FIFA Women's World Cup had to be moved from China to the USA last minute because of SARS, so it is a legitimate topic of concern here since 2008 is approaching.

Imagine the Chinese have to give 2008 up due to such an incidence, it would be absolutely devastating to them with all the money they have invested up to this point in preparation for these games. Would they automatically be given the next bidding Olympics by default, or would the IOC make them go through the bidding process once again?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You two may not take this seriously but I am sure the IOC is. the IOC is not stupid, they would be preparing for any possible number of reasons for the games to be moved.

Diseases like the plague which are severe and spread quickly and easily could be a huge problem in a country and city like China and Beijing, even in cities in developed countries like NYC or London or Paris where there is a large population and large amounts of contact between the population a disease could spread from a dozen people to 100,000 within days, and testing for severly contagious diseases takes a couple days. Before diagnoises and treatment can be determined a city like NYC could have a quater to half a million cases.

With the example of Beijing, lower sanitation, dense populations and multiple generations in one dwelling are all great breeding grounds of communicable diseases, look at the rates of TB. With its population and the slow progress of the Chinese authorities a small outbreak could turn into millions of cases quickly and effiecently because of the situation in China.

Edited by Faster
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If china can't host the games for some reason i'm sure IOC has some back up plans.

i can see berlin paris london moscow tockyo toronto etc and half of USA cities can host decent games in month in already buildt facilities.

maybe not great games and with the stadiums being far from each other but decent anyway.

if that happen i don't see the IOC to give esaily another shot at china and definitely not doing a los angeles 1984 sort of bid to them

but i'm sure there won't be any problem with china.They wanted that so badly to lost control about it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If china can't host the games for some reason i'm sure IOC has some back up plans.

i can see berlin paris london moscow tockyo toronto etc and half of USA cities can host decent games in month in already buildt facilities.

maybe not great games and with the stadiums being far from each other but decent anyway.

if that happen i don't see the IOC to give esaily another shot at china and definitely not doing a los angeles 1984 sort of bid to them

but i'm sure there won't be any problem with china.They wanted that so badly to lost control about it.

London is hosting the 2012 games, they wouldn't be given 2008. Toronto doesn't have an Olympic Stadium, so no. Tokyo is in the process of landing the 2016 games.

I could see Paris pulling it off or we could go back to one of the recent host cities such as Athens, Sydney, Los Angeles or Barcelona.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, I think we've just about reached the point of no going back for 2008. If such a disaster, or something similar, hit China, I doubt there'd be enough lead time now for anyone to step in with a year's notice only. I doubt any of the cities mentioned could seamlessly make the transition now _ the best we could hope for is a scaled down games with some events not held or postponed. And that's just considering competition venues. As we've discussed on the forums before, the biggest hurdle is an Olympic Village _ there's just not many suitable candidates around the world that could step in with a year's notice and accommodate 10,000+ athletes and thousands more officials and media staff at such notice. A US college could perhaps do it, but even that would be doubtful at such short notice.

Edited by Sir Roltel
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, I think we've just about reached the point of no going back for 2008. If such a disaster, or something similar, hit China, I doubt there'd be enough lead time now for anyone to step in with a year's notice only. I doubt any of the cities mentioned could seamlessly make the transition now _ the best we could hope for is a scaled down games with some events not held or postponed. And that's just considering competition venues. As we've discussed on the forums before, the biggest hurdle is an Olympic Village _ there's just not many suitable candidates around the world that could step in with a year's notice and accommodate 10,000+ athletes and thousands more officials and media staff at such notice. A US college could perhaps do it, but even that would be doubtful at such short notice.

LA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quite probably the only feasible back-up at this late notice, and even then I think it would be hard.

Honestly, the most likely candidate would have to be the USA. I think they could pull it off with Los Angeles with a years notice. I wouldn't be surprised if they somehow could manage it within a 6 month notice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honestly, the most likely candidate would have to be the USA. I think they could pull it off with Los Angeles with a years notice. I wouldn't be surprised if they somehow could manage it within a 6 month notice.

Well, isn't China getting to host this year's Women's FIFA World Cup? Maybe China has a secret law that getting sick with SARS 1 year before the Beijing Olympics is a crime punishalbe by death!! :lol:

Re LA being on standby, that's why the SCCOG (Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games) has been around since the first LA Games of 1932. They're ready to host anytime and their bid plans are kinda the IOC's 'back-up' book -- especially now with the updated 2007 edition (but losing out to Chicago).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's supposed to be funny? :blink:

Yes. Make sure you have lots of snacks.

I’m sure the IOC has contingency plans with LA, Seoul or another previous host with an array of facilities and easy access to a large supply of university dorms. And if something gravely serious of global consequence happened there is also the possibility of the out and out cancellation of the Games. Wouldn’t mean the end of the world…well, may be it would. But this is likely not going to happen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And if something gravely serious of global consequence happened there is also the possibility of the out and out cancellation of the Games. Wouldn’t mean the end of the world…well, may be it would. But this is likely not going to happen.

That's why I never trained to be an Olympic athlete. Only an IOC wannabee.

The Games may get cancelled but NOT the IOC par, err... Sessions, Congresses, junkets!!! :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Or possibly move it to 2009 and make an exception???

Nope.

Leap years are RESERVED for, in sequence:

(i) Leap Year (that extra day);

(ii) the two American political conventions...networks take a break... then

(iii) the Summer Olympics; and then

(iv) the American presidential elections on the first Tuesday of November.

Budgets, contracts, schedules worth billions of dollars are lined up for that -- so, no way, Dave.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nope.

Leap years are RESERVED for, in sequence:

(i) Leap Year (that extra day);

(ii) the two American political conventions...networks take a break... then

(iii) the Summer Olympics; and then

(iv) the American presidential elections on the first Tuesday of November.

Budgets, contracts, schedules worth billions of dollars are lined up for that -- so, no way, Dave.

So there is no way to make it work out. I'm sure NBC can pull it off somehow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It would be moved to Seoul. They were the Athens back up (with LA) - though obviously never publically acknowledged as such by the IOC. The KOC has kept the 1988 venues in good condition, the Athletes Village would simply be emptied of its current occupants (the whole complex is low rent governmental housing - thus can be vacated with some notice - the there is no shortage of housing in Seoul) and the Games would go ahead with few problems.

My sources believed Seoul was ready to go and viable (for 2004) with 6 months notice...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the Athletes Village would simply be emptied of its current occupants (the whole complex is low rent governmental housing - thus can be vacated with some notice - the there is no shortage of housing in Seoul) and the Games would go ahead with few problems.

Where would the evicted Olympic 'Village people" then be billeted? I'm sure Samaranch would not want them within viewing distance of his 5-star hotel!

Ship them to Koreatown, LA, for the duration? That would be the biggest story of 2004!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If a second SARS outbreak occurs, we might have to get out the Chicken Noodle Soup, DayQuil, and Sprite.

It is also another edict from Beijing: no STOCKING up on Chicken Noodle Soup (could be infected withthe SARS virus), DayQuil, and Sprite. Besides your neighbors will know and make proper reports to the Beijing authorities.

Better cast your lot with the Falun Gong!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

We never pray for that to happen. If by chance it occures that another SARS outbreak is in China at this ceremonial period, I think the Chinese have to face it squarely. And, it would have a dramatic effect on the chances of the games really passing through, making them the worse Olympic games in the history of the Olympic.

Meanwhile, chances are that it will not happen. I also beleive they are surveilances everywhere searching for outbreaks here and there in China. If not, they should try to start doing that now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...