Not an easy question --- During what is ostensibly a public health emergency it is not easy to decide what should go ahead and what should not. I was highly sceptical that the Olympic games should go ahead this year, although Japan's reputation as a very hygiene-oriented culture certainly helped allay some fears. Ultimately, though, we must remember that athletes (as well as participants in similar large-scale events) are not pawns that should be used to make a political message – regardless of whether that message is negative (your example of Zika in Brazil) or positive (the Tokyo Olympics).

Source author: André Xuereb andre.xuereb@um.edu.mt