It is truly a carnival-like atmosphere in Birmingham with thousands of visitors from across the world coming to the Brummie Land to experience the magic of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
More importantly, there are as many as 6,500 athletes taking part in the two-week sporting spectacle. Keeping in mind the huge influx of people to the West Midlands, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has urged the athletes to “be aware of the signs and symptoms of monkeypox” amid a “party atmosphere” at the event. There are more than 2,200 confirmed cases of Monkeypox in the UK.
In its health advice, the UKHSA warned, “With a party atmosphere and lots of people visiting the region, it’s im -portant to practise safe sex, to prevent possible spread of sexually transmitted infections. So, remember to use condoms, and if you’ve had unprotected sex, get tested for STIs.
“While monkeypox isn’t an STI, it can be transmitted through close physical con -tact, so look out for any symptoms and contact a sexual health clinic if you suspect you may have that or any sexually transmitted infection.”
The CWG organisers are working closely with the UKHSA over the health risks during the Games. Fearing a more severe outbreak, the World Health Organisation has issued an advisory, recommending that gay and bi -sexual men limit their number of sexual partners to protect themselves from monkeypox and help in containing the virus spread. While anyone can get the virus through close contact, an overwhelming majority of those who are infected are either gay, bisexual and queer men (men who have sex with men) with the infection being passed on mainly through close contact between people in interconnected sexual networks.
Meanwhile, as many as 1,50,000 condoms are being handed out to the athletes during the 12 days of the competition. It equates to 23 condoms per athlete. The total is 10,000 fewer than those that were handed out at last year’s Tokyo Olympics.
But the athletes were also warned to not use the free condoms that were given to them as per Olympic tradition. Instead, they were told to take them back home as souvenirs to raise awareness about HIV.
