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Editorial
. 2020 Mar 20;12(3):e7345.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.7345.

An Ounce of Prevention: Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Mass Gatherings

Allan R Escher Jr  1
Affiliations
Editorial

An Ounce of Prevention: Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Mass Gatherings

Allan R Escher Jr. Cureus. .

Abstract

Widespread, non-stop, and often sensational coverage of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has caught many governments flat-footed in efforts to protect the health and safety of their citizens. In response to the current global health event, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Mass gatherings present a historic challenge in protecting the health and safety of attendees. The majority of the prominent mass gatherings are religious in nature. Global sporting events, such as the Olympics and the World Cup, pose unique health risks to attendees and host nations. Deferment or cancellation of such mass gatherings may exert an extraordinary economic loss to the host nation. Universal adoption of best practices for infection control is the surest way for governments to prepare for mass gatherings. In these uncertain times, it is up to intergovernmental organizations to be the voice of reason.

Keywords: 2019-ncov; coronavirus; covid-19; ebola; iso 31000; mass gathering; olympics; religious pilgrimage; thermal scanners; world health organization.

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Conflict of interest statement

Member, Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta Former Member and Chair, Florida Board of Osteopathic Medicine, State of Florida

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. WHO - How effective are thermal scanners in detecting people infected with the new coronavirus?
WHO, World Health Organization
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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