key: cord-0935289-vnzi48z9
authors: Harada, Taku; Watanabe, Dan; Yazawa, Haruka; Hiroshige, Juichi
title: Single‐center observation of direct impact of the Tokyo 2020 Games on ambulance emergency response
date: 2022-01-30
journal: J Gen Fam Med
DOI: 10.1002/jgf2.521
sha: 81b0b014ed5f9c1e9f2749a07247bd0b171c3b35
doc_id: 935289
cord_uid: vnzi48z9

The burden of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games on the local emergency medical system was limited. In addition to the Games were held without spectators, this was due to advance preparation by various organizations and the efforts of local staff, including primary care physicians.

To the Editor, Large-scale mass gathering events place a heavy burden on the local emergency medical systems. 1 there were no cases of heat stroke. The diagnoses of the other five cases were dehydration, non-specific abdominal pain, epilepsy, diverticulitis, and undiagnosed.

The Tokyo 2020 Games were postponed to 2021 owing to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and no spectators were allowed at the events. 5 As such, the burden on the emergency response system was lower than originally planned for. Regardless, advanced preparation, in combination with the efforts of the local staff for prevention and initial response by primary care physicians and healthcare professionals to minor illnesses limited the impact of the games on the emergency ambulance response needed. We recognize this is only the experience at one acute care center and that the anticipated emergency response burden for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games was lowered by the absence of spectators.

In these seven cases, there were no environmental injuries such as heat stroke, which could be attributed to the efforts of the local staff, including primary care physicians. Vigilant planning, including appropriate training of local convention staff and primary care physicians on response guidelines, provides an approach for future large-scale mass gathering events.

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