ATLANTA — Georgia is getting ready for the FIFA World Cup in a little more than two weeks.
One of the national teams that will be playing here is from the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has become ground zero for an Ebola outbreak.
Channel 2’s Richard Elliot caught soccer fan Bernell Alexander coming off a flight at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Tuesday.
He’s not at all concerned about Ebola or other public health threats, even though Congo’s national team will play here in Atlanta.
“Typically, you know, the United States is up on things like that, and I’m pretty sure they’ll take all the necessary precautions,” Alexander said.
Elliot also spoke exclusively with Georgia State Epidemiologist Dr. Cherie Drenzek about public health threats not just from Ebola, but anywhere.
“We in public health have been preparing for the World Cup for well over a year,” Drenzek said.
She said they already have an intricate web of surveillance and reporting mechanisms that stretch from the airport to emergency rooms to EMTs, so they can spot immediately any potential threats.
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“What’s most important is that we want to try to detect any disease of concern early or any outbreaks early, so we have a number of surveillance systems that have been in place for a long time,” Drenzek said.
The Congo national team is isolating before arriving here in Atlanta.
The airport is already screening for Ebola, and no one from those affected regions is being allowed into the country.
Drenzek points out that perhaps a bigger threat to the World Cup crowds will be the Atlanta heat.
“Heat-relatedVaccine-preventable injuries and illnesses can be very significant, so we want to be able to prevent them ahead of time,” Drenzek said.
“Which is going to be more dangerous for visitors? Ebola or the Atlanta heat?” Elliot asked Alexander.
“Oh, the heat. Hands down. Hand down the heat,” Alexander said.
The other thing public health officials are concerned about? Vaccine-preventable diseases like measles, both here and abroad.
She encourages people traveling to make sure they get their measles vaccinations.
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