Translating Research To Practice: Respiratory Illness Prevention For Team USA At The Paris 2024 Games

PURPOSE: To describe the outcomes of a respiratory illness prevention program targeting Team USA athletes competing in the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. METHODS: Team USA Sports Medicine staff implemented a respiratory illness prevention program for Team USA athletes competing in the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Educational materials were distributed to all athletes via multi-modal mechanisms and focused on: 1) practicing good hand hygiene, 2) avoiding crowds when possible, and 3) wearing a mask during travel to Paris. Illness prevention kits with hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, masks, and educational materials were distributed to all athletes prior to the Games. Compliance with the illness prevention strategies was assessed during the athlete arrival processing station in Paris. Respiratory illness incidence was monitored using the USOPC Injury and Illness Surveillance system. Incidence per 1,000 athlete-days (AD) and 95% confidence intervals [95%CI] were calculated. Incidence ratios were used to compare respiratory illness incidence in Paris relative to the Tokyo Games. RESULTS: Of the Team USA athletes competing in the Paris 2024 Games, 219 of 592 (34.9%) Olympic and 90 of 225 (39.8%) Paralympic athletes completed the compliance questionnaire. Compliance varied for practicing good hand hygiene (Olympic: 94.1%, Paralympic: 88.9%), avoiding crowds (Olympic: 68.0%, Paralympic: 66.7%), and mask-wearing (Olympic: 37.9%, Paralympic: 37.8%). Incidence of respiratory illness was 4.4 [3.3, 5.8] per 1,000 AD for Olympic athletes and 5.8 [3.6, 8.8] per 1,000 AD for Paralympic athletes. Compared to Tokyo, respiratory illness rates in Paris were 8.2 [3.5-23.5] times higher for Olympic athletes and 5.6 [95%CI: 1.9-22.5] times higher for Paralympic athletes. CONCLUSION: While the self-reported adoption of frequent hand-washing was high (>90%), adoption of avoiding crowds and wearing masks among Team USA athletes was moderate (<70%) and low (<40%), respectively. Given that respiratory illness rates were significantly higher in Paris than in Tokyo, and the varied adoption of the targeted prevention measures, understanding athlete attitudes and barriers to adherence toward adoption of prevention measures is essential for refining future strategies and improving athlete health.